OPINION

Beginners Suffer from Technoparalysis

Written by Alan Hammond
Published December 03, 2008

Have you ever seen a particularly aesthetic Web site, not a “busy” one with lots of techno-features, but a simply great site? If you’re ever on the 'Net, you’ve seen at least a few. If you’re like most Generation-Xers and older, you have no idea how it’s done. You may even feel like you could have a successful blog (by my own definition, one that’s fun to maintain and earns money), Web site, or business if you could do what they do.

Little secret: you’re right and you can. You’re just suffering from technoparalysis, which I define as a condition caused by the fear of technology that results in an inability to engage in technical endeavors (paralysis by technology).

At this point in my online career, I have very little ability in building Web sites, creating blogs, etc. Sure, I can create the content, but the physical structure and appearance remains largely a mystery. Still yet, I build Web sites, create blogs, etc. Techies may know how to build a better Web site and professionally build and implement a Weblog, but I am accomplishing something better at this early point in my online journey.

I’m slowly learning how to do more for myself in such areas as adding new tools to my blogs, e-commerce to some Web sites, and so on, but I am inexpensively learning how to create better content, content that gets noticed and drives traffic to my creations.

You can do it. Most of you are starting where I did, and I’m not that far ahead of you. For every Web site you want to have, there’s a hosting company just waiting to get you a domain name, host your Web site and help you build it, all for just a few dollars per month. No special knowledge is required. I have most of my Web sites hosted at GoDaddy. The most difficult thing I have done is try to learn how to navigate my way through their supremely confusing Web site, but their reliability and excellent customer service more than makes up for any other shortcomings. When it comes to building a site, if you can pick colors and click boxes, you can do it quickly.

Do you have an idea for an online business? Have a product to sell? A service to provide? Then you can be doing it by this time tomorrow. Unless you’re totally cash-starved and can’t even afford to expend the calories it will take you to walk to the nearest library and set up a free site with Bravenet (a good Web site hosting company), then you have no reason not to do it. Remember, get yourself organized, write down your goals, thoughts, impressions and get started.

Worry about having the perfect site later on, when you’ve built a following, lots of traffic, and you’re generating some income. Then you can have someone help you design a killer Web site.

The cure for technoparalysis is to just do it. Tear a page from the activists’ handbook and take action now! Unlike most activists, you’ll begin to see some fruits of your labor.

Alan Hammond is a freelance writer and blogger. He is presently an editorial writer for GolfersMD.com and the Golf Feature Writer for Suite101.com. Alan publishes three blogs, Recession-Proofing Life, Sports Writer HQ and Suite Golf Travel.
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Beginners Suffer from Technoparalysis
Published: December 03, 2008
Type: Opinion
Section: Sci/Tech
Filed Under: Sci/Tech: Blogging, Sci/Tech: Computers, Sci/Tech: Internet, Sci/Tech: Software
Writer: Alan Hammond
Alan Hammond's BC Writer page
Alan Hammond's personal site
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Comments

#1 — December 3, 2008 @ 21:34PM — dyrkness

Thanks for the encouragement.

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