The Next Web of integrated services.

For someone who has been through all the different phases of development from when first the internet came about, I have had first-hand experience of it all from USENET, Gopher, HTML, Flash, Html5, CSS, XML, VRML, and so on.

I am very impressed by how cohesive these things work together now, the foundation is well solid with security, authentications all of it works with relative ease.

Through the lockdown I was forced to move a physical show online in a matter of days, we managed to achieved that very quickly and deployed Zoom to deliver a weekly online show HerxFriendsLive , set up number of social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and whatnot. Although the experience was not always as smooth as one would have hoped, as we had to endure zoom bombers at times and technical glitches of all kinds which is inevitably pop up as part and parcel of working with these cutting edge technologies.

Last weekend after a long party I woke up on Sunday morning with a bit of a hangover, decided it is time I revamp my website and started looking for plugins for my WordPress to improve things. I intended to simplify things a bit and reduce the clutter that had been built over the years on my website. I used to be a webmaster working for ISPs and big companies creative cutting edge websites for clients. Now I find it impossible to do that. I am easily distracted. My motto is to de-learn in these days. When you know too much, it is debilitating with distractions. o In the pruning process, I found a few plugins and bits of scripts that came very handy.

Most amazingly was to be able to incorporate a zoom like service right onto my page, whereby desktop users would not even need to employ an app to run it. It runs straight in the modern browsers out of the box. Although for mobile devices the experience is smoother with an app download it is also a breeze and after a couple of clicks, ready to go.

I am now also able to set up granular access to my pages based on roles and memberships, I can sell memberships and tickets for events right on the website without the users ever having to leave my site.

I set up a simple donate button, to monetize for the show and allow users to tip the performers and guests however much they could afford.

The membership is linked to my MailChimp database allowing me to send new and update to our members with ease.

I have an online shop and auction engine where I could sell my works and others not having to go to eBay or other Market Places.

There is a WhatsApp chat module allowing visitors to connect with me directly to ask questions of all kinds or to ask for appointments by suggesting convenient times to have a call or book me to draw their portraits at their convenient time, I could even take them on at short notice if required no matter where they are located. 

There is of course complexity behind all of these slicknesses and without a doubt requiring some level of comfort and understanding of these technologies but these are not as difficult as it used to be.

Previously I would have had to code a lot of these, not always reliable and difficult to test and debug, now most of it is very seamless.

For my online gallery, I just plug in my Instagram configure it with how and what I want to show, and then forget about it, as it will update automatically when I make my posts.

Thus my site is integrated with the other services from Facebook, Instagram. Twitter, YouTube to MailChimp, WhatsApp, OBS, Jitsi, and a myriad of others to deploy for my purpose. This is the next web of integrated services bringing the best users to experience every time. I can sell my work and services to whomever across the network globally. I can now deliver HerxFriendsLive right here, I don't have to send my users to zoom or other services outside my domain in Herx.org.

Join us tonight 18 Sep

7-9 pm for a live session of drawings

at HerxFriendsLive Ballerina Classico