Ben Terrett, who amongst other things is Head of Design at the Government Digital Service, linked to a blogpost he wrote in 2008 recently titled ‘My Internet‘. It struck a bit of a chord with me – especially as so little has changed in those three years and how much I agree with. Numbers 1 – 13 below are Bens – the other seven are My Internet.

though I do think it is more My Web than My Internet 🙂

1. My Internet doesn’t use flash, evahhh. Unless it’s a video, and then only for video.

2. My Internet prefers html text wherever possible.

3. My Internet lets me use my email address or my usual username as a username. It doesn’t give me one or make me create a new one.

4. My Internet lets me use a password entirely of my own choosing. It doesn’t make me add numbers or Capitals wH3re I don’t want them.

5. My Internet values simplicity and clarity over almost everything else.

6. My Internet prefers tools that I’m familiar with like Flickr, YouTube, iTunes, Google etc. It doesn’t reinvent convention for the sake of it.

7. My Internet has a screen resolution of 1024×768. Today. As I write this. That will change sooner than you think.

8. My Internet has absolute urls for everything.

9. My Internet may not have exactly the same colours as My Printed Matter.

10. If My Internet was forced to choose between speed and visual lushness, speed would win easily.

11. My Internet has no back, forward or print buttons. That’s what My Browser is for.

12. My Internet has contact details clearly accessible right from the word go.

13. My Internet will not work for everyone, everywhere, always, at the same time, all the time. It will especially not work for CEO’s Aunties.

14. If My Internet was forced to choose between readability and visual lushness, readability would win easily.

20. My Internet is open.