Why small websites are often bad
I figured out this week why so many small websites are bad.
I live in a very small town (less than 500 people). We have a yearly fair - sort of like an Australian country ag show. I heard that the person who maintained the previous website didn’t want to do it any more, so I volunteered.
The committee said yes! No questions asked - they just said yes. They didn’t ask me why I was a good representative of their community or what I had ever done on the web. I could have been the web equivalent of an axe murderer 
August 16th, 2002 at 12:30 am
Or do you mean why so many small town websites are often bad?
Coming from a small town in western Pennsylvania, I can definitely identify with this. There’s usually such a lack of local web talent, that groups and small businsses are willing to take whoever they can get.
August 16th, 2002 at 5:47 pm
I can empathise with you entirely; I am NOT the world’s best visual designer, but I’ve been guilty for the visual design of a number of sites (that have hopefully died quiet deaths!) over the past few years only because no one else volunteered to! What have I learnt? Stick to IA and making good-looking sites more usable . . . hehehe
August 16th, 2002 at 7:17 pm
Oops, maybe I didn’t make my point very well. My point was meant to be that they didn’t even ask for credentials.
I included the information about my small town only to set the scene - we live quite close to Canberra (Australia’s capital city).
And who says I’m not a good visual designer
(OK, I’m not brilliant - I’m with Hayden in that I’ll do the IA and usability and leave the visuals to someone with talent…)
August 20th, 2002 at 7:05 am
I think part of the problem is that most groups who take on volunteers to do their sites wouldn’t know what questions to ask in order to make a well-informed decision. Maybe by the time you’re done working with them they will!
August 26th, 2002 at 11:09 am
as a chronic volunteer, currently in remission
generally it is expected that you’ll be better than any expert that gets paid
and then be there to help out with anything else that is remotely connected with your original volunteered task
watchout for the onslaught of requests!
I am not surprised they accepted without questioning,
it is hard enough to get someone to volunteer, far less someone competant!
September 1st, 2003 at 2:47 am
I have been working on this downtown site for a few months now with no experiance.(www.downtownlogan.com) Learning a lot.
In one month it will begin to be advertised.
I would like your comments and advice.
Thanks
Rich