The Accidental Webmaster

Julie M. Still.
The Accidental Webmaster.
Medford, N.J.: Information Today, Inc., 2003.
paper, 220 p., ISBN 1-573-87164-8, US$29.50.
Information Today: http://www.infotoday.com/

This book is written for volunteer Webmasters, primarily the enormous number of people who create and maintain Web sites for non-profit organizations. It is a highly readable compendium of ideas and information covering all aspects of the task, starting from the very moment when you are volunteered to donate your expertise.

Julie Still provides a lot of commonsense advice grounded in her own experience as an accidental Webmaster. Much of this may seem obvious to people who are already involved in maintaining Web sites, but could be invaluable for those who are just starting out: "Personally, I'm resistant to making my volunteer sites overly elaborate or technical, simply because that aspect of maintenance would take up too much of my time, and I think it is better for the organization if I spend my time on content issues" (p 20).

Chapter 1 provides advice on what the duties of a Webmaster actually are, complemented in chapter 2 by a discussion of the policies which need to be established before work begins on the Web site.

Chapter 3, in addition to a useful overview of the pros and cons of various hosting options, provides valuable advice on the choice of a domain name, pointing out the benefits of long-term thinking. This is reinforced in chapter 13, where it is mentioned that George Bush is rumored to have bought "bushsucks.com".

Chapter 4 provides a substantial introduction to design issues, with a welcome focus on accessibility. In keeping with the style of the whole book, this section strikes a sensible and prosaic note, advocating the avoidance of packages that "serve no other purpose than to appeal to people who have little else to do than design spiffy sites" (p 45). The sound advice throughout this chapter is based on the importance of substance rather than style; noting that people skim rather than read on the Web, the author emphasizes the importance of making the content easily accessible. Users of the book are encouraged to avoid the triumph of style over substance that has led professional Web designers to create firstly Flash introductions and then the facility to skip them. Novice Webmasters are similarly steered away from the viewpoint that site navigation should be an intellectual challenge and that clearly labeled links lack subtlety.

There is some good advice on naming files, though this doesn't mention the avoidance of long file names, capital letters, spaces and special characters. The example of naming a file trlgb1.jpg (p. 56) makes the point about giving files meaningful names, but trlgb001.jpg would be a better option, as anyone who has belatedly discovered that trlgb2.jpg comes after trlgb11.jpg in alphabetical order will know [this is true for many operating systems, with a notable exception represented by Mac OS X, which uses a more sophisticated algorithm that avoid such illogical sorting; there, 2 comes before 11 — editor]. There is also no mention of the distinction between the extensions .htm and .html or the organization of files in directories.

Chapter 5 is concerned with the content of the Web site. Noting that "although you may think something is obvious, chances are it isn't apparent to your site's visitors" (p. 66), this covers a range of topics including language issues, planning the site, creating content, and updates.

The kind of sites that this book applies to are likely to have regular visits from members of the organization, so chapter 6 is devoted to ways of creating community, including e-mail, bulletin boards, chat rooms and the Web itself. There is useful advice on the policies of moderated or unmoderated e-mail discussion lists and other administrative issues, as well as brief sections pointing out the practical drawbacks of bulletin boards and chat rooms. Along with the emphasis on the need to keep the Web site content fresh and timely, there are some simple suggestions for ways of letting visitors know what has been updated.

Chapter 7, "Marketing and Feedback", gives a clear and simple overview of the statistics available to the Webmaster, and the use that can be made of them, along with ideas for promoting the site through search engines and link exchanges. It doesn't mention that some Web hosting companies provide useful tools and statistics for their customers, while others may charge extra for these or may not supply them at all.

There are also brief but informative chapters on "Fundraising on the Web", "Legalities", and "Keeping Up", which covers ways of updating technical skills. Part one ends with a chapter addressed to other members of the organization, "Care and Feeding of the Accidental Webmaster", which summarizes the issues that you will want your colleagues to consider.

Part two of the book is much shorter, and consists of forty-five pages divided into eight brief chapters focusing on specific types of sites. As in part one, lots of useful practical suggestions are offered, with just enough detail. So when Still summarizes a chapter with the words "So keep it simple, keep it sharp, keep it current, and keep it focused" (p. 139), you know exactly how to do that.

Most chapters end with a short list of recommended reading, with the emphasis on the practical and informative rather than the academic, and these are collected in a five-page bibliography, complemented by a single page of Internet resources.

Overall, this is a very practical and readable book, that provides a wealth of useful advice covering all aspects of the task of the accidental Webmaster.