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<h3>The Third Wave: Farms, Factories, Dot-Coms</h3>
<ul><li>The First Wave was the Agricultural Revolution.
<li>The Second Wave was the Industrial Revolution.
<li>The Third Wave is the Information Revolution.
</ul>
The third wave is building right now.<br>
Some people get it, some people don't.<br>
<img src="spacer.gif" border=0 width=20 height=1><a href="3rdwave.htm">Click here</a> for more about the Third Wave.
<h3>The Internet.</h3>
We like to think that the Internet is something new under the sun. Actually, the Net was first described in a 1947 article by <b>Vannevar Bush</b>, President Roosevelt's WWII technology czar.
<br><img src="spacer.gif" border=0 width=20 height=1><a href="http://www2.TheAtlantic.com/atlantic/atlweb/flashbks/computer/bushf.htm" target="_blank">Click here</a> to read V. Bush's 1947 article.
<br><img src="spacer.gif" border=0 width=20 height=1>Read an <a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/5.11/es_bush.html" target="_blank" target="_blank">article</a> or a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0262740222/qid=944079124/sr=1-1/002-9475412-3398626" target="_blank">book</a> about Bush.
<h3>Data, Information, Knowledge.</h3>
We fill our systems with Data, Information, and Knowledge.
<br>They are three very different things.
<br>We often treat them as if they're the same.
<br>It's important to understand the differences between them.
<br><img src="spacer.gif" border=0 width=20 height=1><a href="" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see a journal article we recently
<br><img src="spacer.gif" border=0 width=20 height=1>published on Data, Information, and Knowledge.
<h3>Information Design.</h3>
Cars, buildings, cities, websites:
<br><img src="spacer.gif" border=0 width=20 height=1>Some are easier to use than others.
<br><b>Design</b> makes the difference.
<br>Succesful business websites must incorporate an architecture
<br>and a design that makes the site user friendly.
<h3>About the picture of the Wave.</h3>
The image is from Hokusai's "<a href="hokusai.htm">The Great Wave</a>". What happens when a great wave hits?
<ul><li>The Great Wave will swamp some people, thrust some forward,
and raise others up only to set them back where they began.
<li>The Information Revolution (the Third Wave) is the same way. Some businesses will be swamped, some will be thrust forward, and some will be passed by.
</ul>
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<h4>Some of our sites - -</h4>
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<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><a href="http://www.moreaudesign/index.htm" target="window"><img src="moreau.jpg" align="left" border=0 alt="click here to go to this site" target="_blank"></a></td><td width=3></td>
<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><b>Moreau Design</b> The site is designed to showcase the work of (and generate leads for) this graphic design and printing business.</td>
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<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><b>The Sewickley Spa</b>
The goal of the site is to sell gift certificates, increase out-of-town and corporate sales, reduce phone traffic, and reduce advertising expenses. </td>
<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><a href="http://www.sewickleyspa.com/index.htm" target="_blank"><img src="sewspa.jpg" align="left" border=0 alt="click here to go to this site"></a></td><td width=3></td>
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<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><a href="http://www.businessinsights.com/index.htm" target="_blank"><img src="big.jpg" align="left" border=0 alt="click here to go to this site"></a></td><td width=3></td>
<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><b>Business Insights Group</b> The purpose of the site is to generate out-of-town contacts for this consulting shop that is growing beyond the metropolitan area.
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<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><b>Factory Direct Spas</b>
This site sells spas and hot tubs to the general public at wholesale prices, permitting a regional retail operation to move into national sales.</td>
<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><a href="http://www.factorydirect-spas.com/index.htm" target="_blank"><img src="Fd_spas.jpg" align="left" border=0 alt="click here to go to this site"></a></td><td width=3></td>
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<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><a href="http://www.owensmvp.com/index.htm" target="_blank"><img src="owensmvp.jpg" align="left" border=0 alt="click here to go to this site"></a></td><td width=3></td>
<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><b>Owens' M.V.P. </b><br>(Most Valued Pharmacist)<br>Purpose of the site is to increase participation in the manufacturer's frequent-buyer incentive program.
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<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><b>St. John's School</b>
Purpose of the site is to inform parents and to sell the school to potential customers. One interesting feature is that the site provides real-time school delay and closure warnings.
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<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><a href="http://www.stjohns-monaca.org/index.htm" target="_blank"><img src="stjohn.jpg" align="left" border=0 alt="click here to go to this site"></a></td><td width=3></td>
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<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><a href="http://www.loxley2000.com/index.htm" target="_blank"><img src="loxley.jpg" align="left" border=0 alt="click here to go to this site"></a></td><td width=3></td>
<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><b>Loxley 2000</b>
Purpose of the site is to deliver a web presence and email capacity for this political campaign.
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<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><b>PA Fine Jewelry</b>
The purpose of this site is to generate leads from upscale jewelry consumers. Contains an interesting "design your ring online" function.
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<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><a href="http://www.pafinejewelry.com/index.htm" target="_blank"><img src="pafine.jpg" align="left" border=0 alt="click here to go to this site"></a></td><td width=3></td>
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<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><a href="http://www.faa.gov/pitatc/index.htm" target="_blank"><img src="tower.jpg" align="left" border=0 alt="click here to go to this site"></a></td><td width=3></td>
<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><b>FAA PIT ATC</b> Purpose of the site is to inform the public and to generate customer feedback regarding quality of service.
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<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><b>Comm. College of Beaver County</b>
The bulk of this College department's students come from outside of the geographic area. The goal of the site is to raise awareness among potential customers across the country.
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<td><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS"><a href="http://members.tripod.com/~ccbcavi/index.htm" target="_blank"><img src="ccbcavi.jpg" align="left" border=0 alt="click here to go to this site"></a></td><td width=3></td>
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<h3>Our Free Offer</h3>
Although we build websites, our real stock in trade is our understanding of the Third Wave. <b>The web is just our medium.</b>
<p>If your company is interested in learning about these things, we offer a lecture series on the New Economy. <b>Our offer: one free briefing.</b>
<br>(Sorry, no free whistles or T-shirts.)
<p>We'll provide your staff an interesting, informative, <i>free</i> presentation on where business is going. No sales pitch. No discussion of our products. Just a free sample of our insight.
<br>(We hope that's better than a T-shirt.)
<p>Click on the topic of your choice:
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<input type="radio" name="topic" value="thirdwave">The Third Wave
<br><input type="radio" name="topic" value="datainfoknow">Data, Information, Knowledge
<br><input type="radio" name="topic" value="bizinfosys">Business Information Systems
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Your Name:</td>
<td><input type="text" name="realname"></td></tr>
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Company Name:</td><td><input type="text" name="company"></td></tr>
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Your Phone#:</td><td><input type="text" name="phone"></td></tr>
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E-mail:</td><td><input type="text" name="email"></td></tr>
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<br><b><font face="Lucida Sans, Verdana, Century Gothic, Garamond, Comic Sans MS">
Your Location:</b><br>
Address:<input type="text" name="address" size="30" maxlength="40"><br>
City<input type="text" name="city" size="17" maxlength="25">
State<input type="text" name="state" size="2" maxlength="8">
Zip<input type="text" name="zip" size="5" maxlength="10"><br><br>
<input type="submit" value="send it!">
<input type="reset" value="reset"><br>
<i>Click the <b>send it!</b> button when ready!</i>
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<br><div align=right><a href="initial.htm" target="right"><img src="wavemini.gif" border=0 width=60 height=57></a></div>
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<h3>The Dynamic Duo: Client and Designer.</h3>
Before you can build a site, the Client and Designer both have some
learning and some teaching to do. The Client needs to learn what is
possible on the Web, and what doesn't work on the Web. The Designer
needs to learn about the Client's business, the audience, and the
purpose of the site.
<p>We often start this process off with an analysis of
competitive sites, discussing what the client likes and
dislikes, and suggesting things we'd do or wouldn't do.
<h3>Prototyping</h3>
After the Client and designer are both familiar with the requirements,
we bring in a quick-and-dirty prototype for review. We put the prototype on the web, in a password-protected site. It's usually very
effective to let the Client see a working prototype and then choose a path.
<p>We do not deliver cookie-cutter websites cut out of existing
templates. We do deliver made-to-order sites, made from scratch,
using fresh ingredients and techniques.
<h3>The Web vs. Traditional Media.</h3>
When you film a commercial or print 10,000 catalogs, you need to
make sure everything is just right-- because you're going to
have to live with it for a while. Print is a fixed media, but the
web is very flexible. You can change the content of a site
overnight and inexpensively. It's the Web: Fast and Flexible.
<h3>The Cathedral and the Bazaar.</h3>
When Europeans built
cathedrals, the projects took generations to complete. The people who
designed the work died before they saw results. The technology changed
during the project. The audience who would have benefitted from the
investment, the generations of people who might have found God
in the cathedral, had died before it was ready.
<p>Conversely, the bazaars of the Middle East moved rapidly, developed
products as soon as the need was conceived,
and left room for subsequent revision. They moved while the moment was
right and the market was ready.
<p>The lesson is that you should build your website early and get it
out as soon as practical, and then revise it later and often, rather
than spend whole business cycles preparing a perfect website for an
audience will have gone elsewhere in the meantime.
<p>
<h3>The Waterfall and the Fountain.</h3>
This is another metaphor for website development. In a waterfall process,
activity begins at the top and flows straight to completion, with a
linear certainty rarely seen in the real world. In a fountain process,
the first work is submitted, circulated, processed, and improved, and then
the cycle is repeated. The lesson in that you should build an initial site,
seek comments, make improvements, put it on the Web, then continue the cycle
of improvements and revision.
<p>These two notions, the Cathedral/Bazaar and the
Waterfall/Fountain, are firmly rooted in the implications of
the Third Wave, the Information Revolution.
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<h3>What is a website?</h3>
A website is a business' presence on the Internet. A website consists of one (or many) pages, including images, information, and e-mail. Sub-pages could include product descriptions, lists of contacts, frequently asked questions, hours of operation, or directions to your location.
<p><h3>Why should my business be on the Web?</h3>
It's like asking in 1950, Why should a business be on TV?
<ul><li>The web is a 24x7 billboard visible around the world.
<li>The web is a storefront that is always open.
<li>The web makes you visible to customers who would
otherwise never know about you.
<li>The web is an advertisement that lets your customers ask questions
and send messages back to you.
<li>The web lets small business compete with the Fortune 500.
<li>The web moves your business into the Third Wave.
</ul>
<p><h3>How will customers find my website?</h3>
<ul><li>You'll include your website URL (www.mycompany.com) on your correspondence,
business cards, stationary, and advertising.
<li>We'll register your website with a dozen major search engines,
so that when a customer searches for your products or services,
your site shows up in the list.
</ul>
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