"Things do not change; we change." Henry David Thoreau

Creating or revising a system generates change. We may feel productive and content if the change reduces the amount of time it takes to perform a certain task; but we may also feel discouraged if the new system appears to take more time to accomplish what used to be "easy." Technology is constantly growing and our use of available technology is always shifting. Sometimes it is better to add technical skills to our daily routine and sometimes it is better to change or remove them.

Instead of drawing only on the capabilities of a technology we must also look to the social dynamics of the group we are attempting to facilitate. How does the group currently interact? What would the group benefit from, and what would only be a distraction? Where are other groups having successes (and failures)? How do you measure success? How do you know what should be changed and what should be left the same?

All of these questions should be considered in the evaluation phase. Xtrinsic is constantly learning about the new capabilities of open source software products and how they are being used by other groups to facilitate communication. Through this commitment to research and evaluation xtrinsic has been able to help companies to evaluate internal work processes and match technology to the employees; conduct usability and accessibility audits of Web sites based on up-to-date best practices; and in some cases even helped companies to make the decision to NOT make any changes to their current commitment to technology (including NOT building a new Web site!).

The first two topics in the Web Site Action Plan help you to consider your Guests and Customers and your Peers and Competitors. The workbook is available as a free download to help get you started.