16.02.2009
Cafe29.Ru website, Moshe Shanin
What are the drawbacks of Cafe29, and what challenges lie ahead for it? Will social networks “kill” regular websites? New websites in the Arkhangelsk region — what should we expect? Viktor Belousov, web publisher, talks about all of this.
Viktor, why are there so few bloggers in the Arkhangelsk region?
— I think it comes down to the general culture and people’s willingness to express themselves. Running a blog is work — and most often, unpaid work. Our modern society is set up in such a way that few people will do something just for the sake of personal development and to satisfy their creative ambitions. Besides, blogging requires the ability to express your thoughts and think freely. Unfortunately, there aren’t many people with those skills.
What’s your take on social networks? Will they “kill” regular websites?
— Social networks are interesting and undoubtedly useful for staying in touch with people… but only if you use them in moderation. I won’t try to predict the future of social networks, but I believe that in their current form — especially in the Russian‑speaking internet (Runet) — their future is uncertain. Rather, the whole internet will become more social: projects will give users more opportunities to express themselves. Themed networks will develop, as will social platforms adding new features and services.
What’s your forecast for the development of the regional segment of Runet? Should we expect anything interesting?
— I think government bodies will keep expanding their online presence — departments, committees, and so on. Businesses will continue launching websites; there are plenty of active web studios and freelancers around. The most proactive ones, with the right approach to clients, won’t be short of orders. I wouldn’t expect many new, interesting projects. Unless we learn how to monetize them, a website won’t survive long on enthusiasm alone — except for community‑driven projects. I’m sure the more remote areas — small towns and districts — will be quite active.
And what are your personal expectations, even if they’re unrealistic or utopian? What’s missing, and what would be great to have?
— As a user, I’d like to see more high‑quality websites with interesting original content, fresh ideas (including in advertising), and reliable, up‑to‑date information. I’d like to see web publishers striving to develop and work consistently. As a web publisher myself, I want users to be more demanding about website quality — and for there to be more experienced users overall. Of course, I also want a proper internet advertising market to take shape here. And, in general, it would be great if we eventually reached a time when there are simply no people left who don’t know what a “browser” is, and when the internet, with all its possibilities, goes beyond the familiar confines of monitors and screens, becoming part of a highly developed society and everyday life.
Your project, Arhnet.info — do you have a development plan? What exciting new things await visitors?
— Yes, there’s definitely a development plan, and it’s being implemented right now. It’s designed for several years. The Arhnet.Info we see today is only 10 % of what we envisioned. Right now, we’re working on new services and improving some existing ones, particularly the “news” and “guide” sections. I’d rather not reveal all the details yet. Still, I dare say users will like the results. Arhnet.Info will become more informative and more useful for the region’s residents.
What difficulties have you faced while implementing the project?
— Various challenges come up all the time — during portal maintenance, planning, and developing new services. In my view, that’s completely normal; it’s part of the workflow. Every task and problem is solvable.
Does Arhnet.info generate profit? Or is it all based on enthusiasm? Are there any commercialization plans?
— It’s more about my passion and the dream of creating a certain kind of information space. Right now, Arhnet.info isn’t profitable. Other goals take priority now — expanding the portal, growing the audience, and improving quality. All our efforts are focused on that. Regarding advertising, I think Arhnet.info, in its current form, isn’t ready to place and produce ads actively and effectively. Everything has its time. That said, we do have financial plans for the future. The proposed services will primarily target businesses. I should also add, so as not to contradict myself: two of Arhnet.info’s services feature contextual advertising. This is purely for research purposes, to evaluate effectiveness. The revenue generated there shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Looking from the outside — what are Cafe29’s weaknesses, and what future problems might it face?
— Overall, I really like Cafe29. I think the design could still be improved. It would be great to see a design more styled to match the “cafe” theme. It also makes sense to use “pretty URLs” — they make indexing by search engines easier and are more convenient for users. For example, for “About Cafe,” you could use “about‑cafe,” and so on. As for future problems, it’s hard to say… maybe, if traffic and the number of registered users grow, the platform’s load will increase and a more powerful hosting solution will be needed. I’m also sure that once a large volume of content accumulates, the task of structuring it, creating archives, and making them user‑friendly will become critical.