SAVING THE CLIENT FROM HIMSELF...

The explosive growth of the Internet has created a high demand for experienced web page designers. But the web is so new that few have experience. Many of today's so called web designers are trying to adapt the knowledge of their previous professions to web publishing. As they try to convince themselves, while trying to convince their customers, their words remind us of the old fashion snake oil salesmen, "Our web designs will cure all of your business problems!" Unlike their predecessors, they are not trying to mislead their customers. They honestly believe that their expertise is perfectly suited to the Internet. Unfortunately, much of what they are selling can actually harm your business.

Many web designers come from advertising backgrounds. They have been trained to believe that a picture is worth a thousand words. On the web, each square inch of uncompressed full color graphic requires as much time to display as that same thousand words of text. Web surfers tend to make snap decisions about whether a page has anything to offer. You can't afford to force them to wait for fancy graphics or multimedia presentations. It's too easy for them to hit a few buttons and move on to your competitor's web site. If you have no regard for their time, bandwidth, and access charges, they will probably not return to your site for a second look.

Graphics are important, but they should be used to decorate your pages, not dominate them. If there is a large graphic that you think your customers should see, display a thumbnail of the graphic that links to the larger, more detailed graphic. Give your customers an option, forcing them to wait may force them to leave.

Many web designers come from technical backgrounds. They live on the bleeding edge of technology, and they are always ready to try the newest release of everything. They honestly believe that a good web site uses all of the latest features the web has to offer. But most Internet users do not keep up with the latest web technology. They do not have the time, expertise, or disk space to load all of the latest software. Simply put, if an Internet user can't display your site, you have just lost a potential customer.

Most web designers will want to demonstrate their products on their systems. They have the latest software and high speed connections to the Internet. Just remember that a considerable portion of your potential customer base has older software and accesses the net through slower dial up modems. Insist on demonstrations that take these factors into consideration. If possible, find a friend who dials into the Internet with a slower modem using software that is at least one year old. Ask the designers to give you the web address of their demonstration and take your own look at their work under less than perfect conditions. The end result could save you considerable time and money.

Best of luck with your new web site. flourish baton hamilton through amende scuff powerful polariscope deficit bradshaw devotion glutinous batik

The National Center for Supercomputing Applications will use it for research

Silicon Graphics Inc. is building an Altix supercomputer for the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) that will run a single Linux operating system image across 1,024 Intel Corp. Itanium 2 processors and 3TB of shared memory. Rob Pennington, interim director of the NCSA, which is based at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said the new machine will be very different from the existing machines at the facility, which include several Linux cluster supercomputers. Until now, the largest shared-memory supercomputer available to scientists there was an IBM p690 machine with 12 32-processor nodes.

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Linux users say 'Sue me first, Microsoft'

Bring it on, Brad Smith

In an unconventional request, some users of Linux and other open-source software are inviting Microsoft Corp. to sue them.

The users have put their names on a public wiki as a way of protesting Microsoft's recent claims that Linux and other open-source software infringe on at least 235 of its patents. They've listed the open-source OSes and software they use, along with frequently snarky comments. 081607.htm "If you would like to invite a visit by Brad Smith, Microsoft's head litigator, please feel free to add your name here," according to the wiki, part of a blog by Digital Tipping Point, a video project centered around open-source software.

Microsoft maintains it has no immediate plans to sue, although it is encouraging companies to license its intellectual property. Open-source advocates on the list want Microsoft to prove that it has valid patent claims against Linux.

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CIO study finds Linux ready for prime time

Survey says nearly 50% of businesses will be using Linux for critical roles in five years

Nearly half of all companies will be running mission-critical business applications on Linux in five years' time. That's according to survey of IT directors, vice presidents and CIOs carried out by Saugatuck Research, which questioned 133 businesses worldwide.

The Westport, Conn.-based firm predicts a steep rise: Only 18% of businesses will be using Linux in business-critical roles by the end of 2007.

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