There is a very good article on A List Apart entitled “Reviving Anorexic Web Writing”, by Amber Simmons. Her major point is that writing for website content has turned into body copy more then actual content that anyone would actually want to read.

What I really liked about this article was how she opened. She describes an office visit from a potential client who wanted her to build a quick site for him. She replied that she would be happy to look over the content of the site when it was ready and then see if it was indeed something that she would be willing to take on. The prospect was shocked by the idea that the content should have to come before the design, and that it was not something that could be thrown in later.

The reason that I like this point so much is because it is such a common occurrence in our line of work. Clients come to us with hopes of an amazing looking website with all the bells in whistles. They don’t want it to cost them more then a price too low to mention, and they want it in a week. They think that it is a simple process, and as such, content is usually the last thing on their minds. “Oh, it is just something that you will write up and throw in at the end for us wont you?”

Now, I am always happy to get with a client and help them figure out what sort of content is needed for their site, and to even help with the creation of said content. But they have to be willing to work with me. If I don’t have a sites content up front, it almost guarantees a sub-par design.

Content is the heart of web design as Amber so excellently points out. It needs to be well thought out, well written, and it needs to captivate your audience. I may just have all my future clients read this article.

I am, at the very least, an open book. Often times I am more then that. Often times I am more like a billboard, large and obnoxious about my life, advertising what is going on. I have no scruples about what I share or even who with for the most part. If I call you friend, then I feel you are entitled to know who I am in total.

This is all well and good, for me, but it can create problems for others at times. More often then not, I fear, most people don’t want to know me in the whole. There are things better left to the imagination I guess. What is more, I often forget or do not even realize that others are more private and reserved then I am. It can create tension when I forget that some things are best left unmentioned.

Yet another problem is that, most likely, my future spouse, who ever she may be, will not be as open as I am. She may not enjoy the freedom that is complete and brutal honesty like I do. Nor am I saying that she should, or that anybody, for that matter, should be as blatant as I am. I have never been one for reservations, but I need to respect others need for them.

It is not something that I completely understand, privacy, but something I need to look into a bit more. I do not know why I was born without the need for it, but it is clear that others were and I need to try to understand and respect that.

For even God has hidden certain things from us. Not in some grand scheme, but because we are just not capable to handle them yet.

Sharing is never an easy thing to do. Truly bearing your heart to others is something that takes courage and often times a certain level of desperation. There are always feelings of regret, inadequacy, weakness, remorse, and embarrassment afterwards. One can’t help but feel a little vulnerable after they have truly opened themselves up to a person. There is always a risk involved with opening up like this. How will the person receive what it is you are exposing to them? How will they react to this new found revelation of you? It is these uncertainties that make sharing that much more difficult.

But honest sharing is important. If we are not honest with each other then we can’t begin to grow together. If we can’t bear ourselves to each other then how close are we really. Is it true camaraderie, or just a facade that we keep up for appearance sake. We need to stop being fictitious people. We need to be true, we need to be authentic.

The Church is dying because we can’t be honest with each other. We slowly drift away from each other making it that much easier for the enemy to pick us off one by one.

Do I know you, or do I know a shell, a false portrait that you put up hoping that I will never know the truth?