The Web Gets Personal

Remember when you first got a hot-off-the-press stack of business cards with your brand-new email address? For most of us, that moment came a few years ago. But for IBM vice president John Patrick, a business card with an email address was already old news. Back when most of us thought URLs were European noblemen, Patrick was handing out business cards that featured his own Web address.

Patrick had figured it out early. An email address gave people a quick way to reach him -- but a personal Web site let him reach right back. Rather than fielding endless client queries, he could direct people to his site, where answers to common questions are always available. Patrick realized that his Web site offered a personal and corporate showplace no email address could match. He turned his site into a haven for his own hobbies and interests, as well as a demonstration of IBM's Internet technology.

Lots of people have their own Web pages, most of which aim to impress through force of personality. In this edition of @Work, we profile three pioneers who use their Web sites as personal calling cards -- not only as a powerful way to express who they are, but also as an indispensable tool to facilitate what they do. They have gone beyond email, beyond vanity Web pages to create a new kind of personal Web site that can put a human face on a big impersonal company. Isn't it time for you to turn the (Web) page?

The Networker

WebWeaver: John Patrick, 52, vice president of Internet technology at IBM.

When you think of the Internet's leading companies, IBM probably doesn't come to mind. Even so, Big Blue was building the backbone of the Net when Netscape's Marc Andreessen was in high school. Now the company is asserting its online presence, and John Patrick is leading the way.

Patrick played a major role in the design of IBM's original corporate Web site, so it's only fair that he grabbed a piece of it for himself. He describes his site as a "hobby," but its style perfectly reflects the new Internet imperatives at IBM. There's plenty of eye candy to pull people in, erected on a sober foundation of industrial-strength Internet technology.

Reason for Being: Patrick got his first look at the World Wide Web in 1994. "All the bells and whistles went off. I saw it as something that was going to change everything about the way we do business." He delivered a paper on the Web at that year's Internet World conference and was swamped with requests for copies. He quickly decided that he ought to "walk the talk" and create his own Web site.

Patrick wasn't too ambitious when he started out. "Initially it was, 'Hi, I'm John. Click here to read the Get Connected paper.'" Then the site became a hobby, a place for self-expression, and a chance to try out advanced Web design tools like JavaScript and animated images.

"I've tried to create a site that allows me to relate to the Internet community," he says, "to add value to people just learning about the Net, to share my point of view on things I'm interested in, and to experiment with the technology I enjoy."

Elements of Style: Patrick keeps the site clean but lively with colorful, fast-loading graphics and a touch of animation. "I'm not a graphic design expert. I just follow the principle of creating what I like and making changes based on feedback."

Patrick's papers and speeches are indexed at the site, but his favorite jottings are on his Reflections page. "Reflections is my personal take on a unique experience like riding through the Chunnel, the rush of a keynote speaking opportunity, or meeting with interesting customers and colleagues. I get a real charge out of relaying these tidbits on my site, and in return I get consistent feedback from readers."

The Payoff: Patrick's hobby has made him IBM's ambassador to the Internet. There's some boosterism on his site, but it's low key. "You won't ever find on my site, 'Click here to buy a PC.' I'm not trying to advertise IBM products per se."

What Patrick is advertising is his company's Web expertise and its renewed sense of adventure. People come to the site thinking "Big Blue"; Patrick tries to send them away thinking "Cool Blue."

URL: John Patrick, http://www.ibm.com/patrick