A few months ago, a friend of mine gave me a free bumper sticker that he had recieved from zing.com. In bold white text on a black backround it shouts"It's your web. Don't let it suck." I'm a sucker for cool web-related paraphenalia (especially when it's free), so I took brought the sticker to work and hung it above my computer monitor.

I see it every day when I enter the office, and whenever I look away from my screen, there it is. As a professional web designer, I've adopted the slogan as a personal motto. As a person who's taken an active role in shaping a small section of the web, I should do everything I can to make sure it doesn't suck. This means developing web sites that take advantage of cutting-edge technologies, while maintaining universal standards in my HTML, JavaScript and other types of programming code. It means being creative, taking risks, keeping the user's needs first and refusing to settle for anything less than my best work. In a way, it's MY web and I can do my part to make sure it doesn't suck.

But more importantly, it's YOUR web. The web is the people's medium. Even though people like me are out here creating the actual web sites, it's the users that we're concerned about (at least we should be). Without all the people out there visiting web sites, the Internet is nothing. The power is in your hands--if you decide not to visit a particular web site, it will fail. No amount of money, or marketing or cool technology will change that. The people are in control.

It's your web. The future of the Internet is in your hands. Will the web become another tool to be used by giant corporations to spread mindless propaganda and advertising? Or will the web continue to innovate--to allow people from across the globe to unify around common interests and goals? Who decides? If WE take the initiative, WE can shape the future.

What can we do?

Demand quality. Insist on quality content, design and usability--and refuse to patronize sites that are lacking. Don't let the large brands fool you. They're often the biggest culprits when it comes to poorly designed web sites.

Don't get sucked into the huge networks like Go or AOL. Seek out independent content. Look for other voices and opinions--ones which haven't been tempered or castrated by corporate control. Read e-zines and visit digital galleries.

Create your own web site. Contribute a piece of yourself to the patchwork quilt. Pick a topic that you like--and create a site for it. Do the best technical job you can, but don't stress too much about learning HTML or Photoshop (unless you find that you really enjoy it--in which case, go for it). Instead, be creative with your CONTENT.

Use the most current version of your browser. At the time of this writing, this means Netscape 4.5 or Internet Explorer 5.0. You can download these for free, so what's holding you back? It will enhance your web surfing experience, and it allows web builders to incorporate the latest technological standards without worrying that you won't be able to see them properly.

Don't buy the hype that tells you that bland portal sites make great start-up pages. There are some very beautiful and elegant sites out there--don't let butt-ugly sites like Yahoo or Amazon get all the glory.

The Internet IS NOT a bunch of computers connected by underground wires. The Internet is people connected to people. Technology is merely the means by which all of this can happen. Keep this in perspective. Regardless of the hype surrounding Internet stocks or online advertising, the real excitement of the web is that it brings people together. And that's why it's not THEIR web. It's YOUR web.

Please don't let it suck.