The Future of Image Resizing

Here’s something geeky but revolutionary just the same. Brilliant as far as I’m concerned. Needed and valuable. I like that. 😉

Ning Me: Great Social Networking Website Building Platform

Yesterday, I started experimenting with Ning, and I was impressed. It’s amazingly powerful for such an truly easy-to-use system. Now, (no kidding) virtually anyone with an ounce of web-savvy can create their own social networking website. This is Web 2.0 at it’s best. (Oh, and I should mention this company is backed in large part by Marc Andreesen.)

But why take my word for it, when Ning’s attractive and articulate CEO, Gina Bianchini is virtually right here to demo it for you:

Thanks to TechCrunch for their review and you may also gain further illumination from GigaOM’s post.

The Truth About How Web Pages Are Read

My favorite and most highly recommended book on the subject of web usability (or in plane folks speak, the science and art of how to make web pages more useful) is Steve Krug’s “Don’t Make Me Think.”

But, arguably the “grandfather” of books on this subject is Jacob Nielsen. Another interesting info-tidbit is that people are now studying how people read web pages with eye-tracking visualizations like the one shown here. Nielsen’s comments on a new eye-tracking study include the discovery of an interesting “F” pattern.

His insights also include the not so eye-opening (common sense) insights that web designers and writers should realize that: “Users won’t read your text thoroughly in a word-by-word manner.” And, “The first two paragraphs must state the most important information.” As well as the suggestion to “Start subheads, paragraphs, and bullet points with information-carrying words that users will notice when scanning down the left side of your content in the final stem of their F-behavior.”

If this is news to you, you might want to read more…

TechCrunch & more Best of Web 2.0

TechCrunch‘s Michael Arrington does an amazing job of keeping up on the latest Web 2.0 applications. I just found his overview of the Web 2.0 companies that he couldn’t live without. It’s a great list of the leaders in the way cool, AJAX-enabled software as service world. (I’ve featured other Web 2.0 lists and definitions earlier.) The TechCrunch list highlights leaders from the WordPress blogging/publishing platform, to Bloglines web-based blog reader (which I use), to NetVibes (an amazing web desktop), to OmniDrive (free online storage that is supposed to go live as public beta tomorrow 4/17), and more. Good stuff! Thanks, Michael.

In Case You Thought the Growth of the Web Was Slowing Down…

Apple’s Web Site Among Fastest Growing. Amongst the big boys at least, the likes of Apple, Google, Amazon, Wikipedia and the social networking sites are still seeing robust double-digit growth year-over-year.

Excellent Web Site Templates

TemplateMonster.com has the best web site templates that I’ve seen online. Well done. Both HTML and Flash versions. A great resource, design short cut. I’m impressed.