We Make Nice Websites

With May 1st just a day away, we thought we would put fresh new paint on the walls in time for spring cleaning. We still have a ways to go, but this is step one of our office transformation. Move out the way Martha Stewart, WMNW is at it again. 

We’ve all started to settle into the second quarter of 2012, but WMNW is also settling into one additional thing this year - a new office!

There I said it. It’s been killing me. I’ve been waiting to say that for a long, long time. A few weeks ago we signed a multi-year lease, but I could barely keep the news contained. With the exception of a few close friends, not too many people knew until this past week when we actually moved in. 

This is our ‘dream house.’ Our oasis. Our daily inspiration. And a place for our clients (or future clients) to visit us and break away from the norm.

It really hasn’t quite set in for us. (Not yet at least, but it’s starting to.) We’re actually still in awe of the 15-foot ceilings, the imperfect hardwood floors, and our view of the street below. This is the place Josh and I set out find when we first co-founded the company back in September 2009. Getting an office that would inspire us on a daily basis was a big goal for us, and we are proud to have finally achieved it after two and a half years of hard work.

So far we have had a lot of fun just envisioning what (and who) goes where. The space has three built-in cubicles. You might assume that we fought over the most spacious cubicle with its enviable window, but we actually decided against making these confined spaces into workstations. Instead, we’ve kept a familiar “round table” format. All three of us decided to hunker down in the common area with our desks strategically positioned to keep communication between us barrier free. Though g-chat will probably still be the preferred method of communication during work for some (ahem, Ian), we also decided that the aforementioned coveted mega-cubicle should be converted into a conference room, fit for some serious brainstorming and a welcome change of scenery.

Our short-term plan is to give the studio a facelift and change its current color scheme to give the space a more modern feel. It won’t happen overnight, but the change will come very soon.

We don’t view this as an additional expense, but rather as an investment and a reward to ourselves and our clients. We will produce better work here. We will work here longer. We will choose to bring clients here instead of to a coffee shop, and hope they feel as comfortable as we do here. We’ll continue to grow into this space slowly over the course of many months and can’t wait to see what happens next. 

The internet thrives on the free-flow of ideas and the passage of those ideas from place to place. Protect IP seeks to curb that flow, and gives the entertainment industry the power to do it. It would give these private corporations the power to shut down any website that directly or indirectly promotes pirating or copyright infringement. So, that cover video your 9-year-old cousin posted of her favorite Justin Beiber song is a violation, the photo of Seth Rogen you posted on Facebook for doppleganger week crosses the line, and the gif from last week’s Big Bang Theory on your tumblr breaks the law. These websites can be shut down, sued, or have all of their US-based advertisement cancelled. New start-ups as well as old social networking favorites could be seriously crippled by this legislation. 

On top of all that, there is a serious flaw in the execution. This bill will only affect the DNS for each site, still allowing access to anyone who types in the IP address. It won’t stop piracy, but it will harm websites that the government feels are not filtering links to pirated material well enough.

We do think that copyright infringement is wrong, but this level of censorship is not the answer. Protect IP creates more problems than it solves. Please consider signing the official petition against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), sending an e-mail, or making a phone call to your local politicians. These links make it fast and easy to make your voice heard.

The internet is a place to hear and be heard. Don’t let Protect IP take that away.

Small Business Saturday

For some of us, November 26 is an extra recovery day from eating too much turkey. For others, it means waking up at the break of dawn [again] to celebrate Target’s Two-Day Sale. But what it should mean for all of us, is the perfect opportunity to support our local economy!

November 26, 2011 is “Small Business Saturday”, a day dedicated to the small businesses of America. Over 2 million people have friended Small Business Saturday’s Facebook page and even major corporations like FedEx, American Express, and Google are showing their support.

American Express launched a campaign to get consumers to “shop small” during Thanksgiving weekend. Whether you’re a business owner or a consumer, Small Business Saturday is more than just a shopping event; it’s a way of acting on our commitment to the small business in America. You can help show your support by pledging to make a purchase at your favorite shop! 

As a small business ourselves, We Make Nice Websites knows how important local support is and we’re grateful for all of the opportunities we’ve received in our 2 years of business. Most of our clients are also small businesses too, making us extra thankful that we’re able to collaborate together and help make a difference in Rochester.

Please show your support for all of the hard working folks in our community and buy something local on Small Business Saturday!