Paperclips beat myrrh (usually)

The content of presents and web pages have much in common.

  • Shiny red wrapping with a holograph pattern attracts the greedy eye. (A professional design provides a worthy wrapping for good content.)
  • Sticky tape holds the wrapping firmly. (The web page is held together unobtrusively.)
  • A label bearing your own name is reassuring. (Personalised content is appreciated on Amazon pages.)
  • But it's the parcel content(s) that really interests us. (Ditto for a web page.)

Elsie wrapped a present for baby Jesus, and put it under the tree. The wrapping was more sellotape than paper, and with a 3-year-old's wisdom she gave him one green paper clip.

On the Web, some of us are certainly hunting for golden content, but as daily fare, myrhh and frankincense are somewhat overrated. Nine times out of ten, what we want from a web page is more like a paper clip: functional, usable, small and plain.

From tomorrow I'll be holidaying in Mapua, Nelson, for a week or so and probably won't post much in January. (You wouldn't read it anyway, would you?) Meantime I hope your holiday season is full of good things, such as relaxation and wrapping paper. Time enough for paper clips in 2007.

Leave a comment: