• Briefly define what we mean by “content management system.” Is it just for websites?

A content management system is a software that allows users to modify websites by adding, removing, and publishing things. A CMS is able to be user-friendly by using text, images, documents, videos, and more. Content management systems are usually used for websites, but can also be used for other online services. It helps people get their business and message spread along with creating content. You also don’t need much technical knowledge to use CMS. (https://www.semrush.com/goodcontent/content-marketing-blog/content-management/). 

• Compare and contrast building a website using a CMS and coding a website by hand using HTML/CSS. What are the benefits and drawbacks of each? What is the current best practice when it comes to making a website?

A CMS doesn’t really require much technical knowledge and is a quick and easy way to create a website. However, there are less functionalities. With HTML, you need to have more technical knowledge and it may take longer. However, HTML is highly customizable and you can make something completely unique to your brand. I think that in general, HTML is probably your best bet when it comes to making a reliable website. CMS doesn’t take much time to make, but it could make your website run slower. While HTML takes longer to create, it will function faster. (https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/html-vs-cms-which-is-right-for-your-website/).

• How do CMSs impact the web design industry? Are they taking away jobs from web developers?

I don’t think that CMS is taking jobs away from actual developers. CMS can lower the cost of them, but overall they are still needed because websites that only use CMS likely wouldn’t be very good. Web developers have knowledge to use HTML in order to make websites actually functional. As for how CMS impacts the web design industry, it makes web design processes harder, there are likely more bad websites than good ones in terms of functionality, and CMS can sometimes lack cybersecurity. (https://www.coredna.com/blogs/the-web-is-broken#:~:text=The%20whole%20reason%20that%20many,these%20processes%20harder%2C%20not%20easier).

• Today, do more people access the web using computers or mobile devices?

People in the U.S. mostly access the internet via mobile. According to Oberlo, “As of May 2023, 67.81% of the total web visits are currently mobile, compared to 32.19% coming from desktops.”  (https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/mobile-internet-traffic#:~:text=Mobile%20browsing%20stats%20in%20the%20United%20States&text=As%20of%20May%202023%2C%2067.81,to%2032.19%25%20coming%20from%20desktops). Personally, I would assume that this is because of how easy it is to access the internet within a few taps. Phones are usually pretty fast with a good connection to wifi or data, and their small size makes it so that you can have the internet in your pocket on the go.

• Who controls the World Wide Web? What is it made up of?

The short answer is that nobody truly owns the World Wide Web (https://www.elitegroup.com/resources/blogs/who-owns-the-internet/). Some believe that the World Wide Web is shared by the people who use it. The World Wide Web is made up of three components; URLs, HTTP, and HTML. (https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-world-wide-web-the-invention-that-connected-the-world/ogVR4WcKh7UBIQ?hl=en).

• Who is Tim Berners Lee? What is he best known for?

Tim Berners-Lee is a computer scientist who is known best for founding the World Wide Web (https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-world-wide-web-the-invention-that-connected-the-world/ogVR4WcKh7UBIQ?hl=en).

• What is a blog? What is it used for?

According to Oxford Languages, a blog is “a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.” On blogs, you can post photos or updates about your life and other subjects.

• What is a “responsive” website design?

In “responsive” web designs, the website adjusts to the user’s orientation settings and whether the user is on a mobile device, a computer, or other. Smashing Magazine also supports this idea, claiming that “Responsive Web design is the approach that suggests that design and development should respond to the user’s behavior and environment based on screen size, platform and orientation.” (https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/01/guidelines-for-responsive-web-design/).

• Why are “responsive” website designs necessary?

“Responsive” website designs are necessary because they make the internet more accessible, and encourage more people to use websites with “responsive” website designs. (https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-responsive-web-design-benefits/211264/#:~:text=Responsive%20web%20design%20makes%20websites,your%20website%20in%20the%20future).

• What is SEO, and why should website owners/managers be concerned with SEO?

“SEO” means Search Engine Optimization. Website owners should be concerned with SEO because it ranks pages, meaning that it can hide results further back just because they’re not popular. (https://mailchimp.com/marketing-glossary/seo/#:~:text=Search%20engine%20optimization%20(SEO)%20is,most%20to%20your%20target%20audience).

• What is dynamic content?

According to Omniconvert, dynamic content is web content that changes and adapts based on behavior, interests, and other preferences of the user. (https://www.omniconvert.com/what-is/dynamic-content/).

• What is a content management system? You work with one, what is its name?

A content management system is a software that allows the user to work with prewritten code in order to easily make changes to content. One content management system is called WordPress. (https://kinsta.com/knowledgebase/content-management-system/).

• What is a youtube channel? Who might want to start one?

A youtube channel is like a video blog on youtube. Content creators, educators, and people that want to spread information or share content may want to create one (https://www.youtube.com/creators/how-things-work/getting-started/).