1997 OCT 11
Else's Bar
JOHN BOURASSA-DUTTON, CANADA
There are statues
of witches on a shelf; a huge wooden seagull suspended from the
ceiling which slowly flaps its wings; photographs of every barman
in its four year existence hung in the kitchen; a goldfish tank
containing a fake skull on top of the piano. From its tables
laminated with newspaper cuttings and photos to its dark green
brick walls, Else's has a fascinating atmosphere.
What Else's doesn't have is the Internet. I bet Else herself,
the 56 year-old Norwegian proprietor, has never touched a
computer in her life. But there is a similarity between the bar
and the Web.
As we drank, I explained to my friend how Else's interior design
had come about. When it opened almost none of the elements mentioned
above existed, yet still it had a special ambiance. Since then the
decor has not changed. Instead it has evolved, without following
any special master plan, on some occasions more radically than
others, with the staff and the customers making subtle alterations
to their surroundings.
"You can't build permanent foundations when the ground
is shifting under your feet, and the ground the Internet is
built on is constantly shifting. That is its
strength."
Hence the similarity
to the Internet. In July I started a Web site for my own written
and visual work, called Samsara. I had very little knowledge
of HTML (still don't), but what I learned enabled me to achieve my
objective: to create a site where the emphasis is on content rather
than flashy design and animated gimmicks.
Over the next couple of months I made certain changes, such as
adding a comments form and including banner exchange ads. The
design stayed basically the same, with some tweaking taking placed
after I received feedback from friends. I also did research on other
artistic sites on the Web, and subscribed to a mailing list to learn
about how to publicize it.
I had always intended to include works by other artists and writers
on Samsara, but wasn't sure what format this would take. I've now
decided that I will produce a monthly or bi-monthly edition
as well as keeping a kind of permanent collection, so that the site
will become a combination gallery and magazine. I've also decided
to include content which is not solely 'artistic', i.e., documentary
photography and non-fiction writing.
So already the concept is evolving. The decor is changing. As more
people visit I expect to receive suggestions and constructive
criticism. Who knows where my site will end up? I certainly don't.
And that is the beauty of the Web: it is organic and fluid. There's
no need for a grand strategy. You can throw twelve-month
marketing plans out of the window. Target audience? Forget it.
There is no audience, only participants.
You can't build permanent foundations when the ground is shifting
under your feet, and the ground the Internet is built on is
constantly shifting. That is its strength. Talented, creative,
lateral-thinking individuals will succeed in it, just as
Else has succeeded in making her bar one of the most popular
in Montreal.
I don't have any special advice or answers as far as building an
Internet presence is concerned, and anyone who says they do is
mistaken. There are no rules, only as many ways of communicating
as there are Web sites. So I prescribe going with the flow. Evolve.
See where your own digital pathway leads. To paraphrase the
Buddhists: on the Net you can only arrive at true wisdom when
you admit that you know nothing.
John Bourassa-Dutton is a Montreal television director,
writer, and artist. He was born in England in 1966, and since
then has drunk more pints of Guinness than he's had hot dinners,
which is fortunate, considering the standard of English cooking.
He also runs a Web site called
Samsara. Email him at
john@oblik.com
Would you like to see your work in Zn?
