An online diary for Verner Emil Eg

The story of Verner Ermil Eg begins in 1947 in Copenhagen and speaks of the passion for technology and photography he's felt since he was a child. In 1956, he was the first boy in the neighborhood to be envied for his camera, an AGFA Synchro Box, which at the time made it possible to take a maximum of eight photos per roll -- definitely different from what we're used to today! His passion for images was expressed, not only through photography, but also through drawing. During our chat, Verner told us that at the age of five, his aunt Ella had already predicted an important part of Verner's future: graphic arts.

In fact, Verner then went on to study graphic design and applied the knowledge he gained to a rich and varied career. But we'll let him tell you more about his story and about WebSite X5, which over the years has proved to be his faithful companion.

"Of course! I've been retired now since 2012, but I've certainly done a lot throughout my career. I spent ten years in the Danish Army as a teacher in the Danish Army School of Instructional Technology, where I was basically involved with what we'd refer to today as E-Learning.

In 1978, I started my own business, still in the IT field. At the same time, I was also involved in journalism and web design. In fact, I taught courses on this subject as well as on other issues related more to the world of journalism, including writing, design and production of magazines, newspapers and, of course, websites. In 1990, I also received an honorary degree from the FEIEA."

"Oh, unfortunately not. In 2003, I had some serious health problems which affected me in many ways and inhibited my ability to speak, among other things. At the time, I had a small company that I ran mainly by giving speeches, lessons and courses, but without a voice, I unfortunately had to stop, which greatly impacted my finances. Luckily, a couple of friends came to my rescue and offered to rent me a house in Ellinge, on the island of Fyn. Gradually, I recovered and beginning in 2006, I started going out again and taking care of the house, organizing it and renovating it."

"That's right! Through dengamleeg.dk, I wanted to create a place to share parts of my everyday life, which obviously included my progress in renovating the house, in addition to other things. The name "Den Gamle Eg" means "The Old Oak". I decided to call it that because my last name, Eg, means "Oak". I wanted the site to be something that was 100% mine. I share thoughts, curiosities and images that represent my days. I have a very large network of acquaintances which goes beyond the borders of Denmark, so the site allows me to keep a sort of online diary that makes me feel close to people who are important to me but who are physically distant. It's a way of keeping in touch without losing sight of each other."

"Very good! I find WebSite X5 to be a wonderful tool which allows me to build my pages creatively and without obstacles.  I'm extremely happy with it. In fact, I have also recommended it several times to other people.”

"Actually, dengamleeg.dk is a site I created after I became even more familiar with WebSite X5. I discovered this tool earlier, when in 2001 I was managing ellinge.dk, the local website for the village of Ellinge. Before choosing WebSite X5, I was able to compare the various solutions on the market in order to find software that best met my needs. Initially, I had found a tool very similar to WebSite X5, so when I switched to this one, I found myself working in a way I was already used to, but with decidedly new and different features! For example, you have the ability to create responsive websites that are displayed perfectly on both PCs and smartphones without necessarily having to create different projects.

I started out by trying the demo version and bringing myself up to speed by reading the manual in order to fully understand the software, as I usually do when discovering a new tool. I came to the realization that WebSite X5 was the best solution for me, and I've been with it ever since."

"There are two phases in the creation of a website: a planning phase and an execution phase. In the first phase, what you need to do is to define some elements that will then always be kept in mind during the second phase, such as what is the purpose and what are the objectives of our website? In short, why do we need a website? How can we achieve the goal we set for ourselves? And who is our site directed at?

Answering these questions clearly allows us to have guidelines available when we set out to create the website. On the contrary, and this is a common mistake, people think they can save time by skipping this phase and jumping right into creating the site. You risk creating your site in a "random" way without a true underlying concept, and even if you may like the site initially, it can be difficult to update it, precisely because it lacks planning. In many cases, you end up having to do it all over again.”

"Simplicity is the watchword. The layout and structure must be simple and intuitive, so those who visit your site can find their way around without problems and immediately find what they're looking for. Simplicity must also work its way into style. Few colors and few fonts give continuity to the site. Even with effects, it's best not to overdo it. For example, if we want to insert the effect of falling snow, it's better to do it only on the home page and not across the entire website, so as not to weigh down the final result.

However, some might disagree. Some may find that Monet's paintings are better than Kandinsky's or Andy Warhol's, while some will say the opposite. The same goes for websites. It's a matter of taste. Personally, I find these basic rules to be a good starting point on which you can base your site."

"Absolutely! WebSite X5 has allowed me to stay in touch with the people I care about during a difficult time in my life and create the website I wanted. I can't help being more than satisfied!"