In my last post, I mentioned that technology is increasing exponentially. Not only do the devices change, so does the software and services behind publishing. When I started this website in 1995, it was written using Notepad and some basic HTML tags. Then I used programs like Homesite and Dreamweaver to build more complex sites.
A few years ago, I migrated to WordPress to focus on content generation rather than coding. I installed the Thesis theme to quickly build the layout. Just a few days ago, Thesis 2.0 was released. It was a complete change from the original structure. There were no more forms to fill out. Everything became boxes, containers, packages. Even though it was a “visual editor,” it was pretty much coding using boxes. Not only was the learning curve steep, there was no documentation to get started. After a few hours of tinkering, experimenting, and testing, I think I finally got the basic concepts.
The entire layout of my site is all modular. I can create “containers” and put in dynamic elements or static content. I’m just starting to tap the top of the iceberg.
That said, change is tough. Change causes fear, frustrations, and hopelessness. At one point, I tried to revert back to the old theme. It was just too much change.
This coming Friday, we’ll see similar learning curves when Microsoft releases Windows 8 to the general population.