Finite websites and page deletion, design phylosophy

[Memory]

Some websites are created to be finite

I am talking about the concept of project-oriented over user-oriented. Even if the website isn't a blog, is expected to keep updating because "Oh! it's ABANDONED" or "the owner might MOVED ON". The webcitizen is expected to provide signs of life through its creation; it's USER-oriented

When a page is PROJECT-oriented, it has a unique purpose, to expose a single collection of works, where the and the author takes a second plane, it's detached from. I'm not only thinking of art-things, but photo-collections, tutorials, wikis, etc; Even social media profiles can take this approach. The website is finished.

An user-oriented inactive website gives a sense of dread and nostalgia because we think about how the author's life its now beyond the web. What are your experiences with finite websites? Would you take a project-oriented approach? How a webcitizen gives signs of life?

Talking about this, under which conditions do you delete a page? Maybe because it something private, outdated, undesired or time-exclusive. File reorganization does not count

Can page deletion be a design choice? A subversive act? Like artists that burn their paintings or street group artworks that are cleaned after the show. Like something that is not meant to last

[wygolvillage]

I delete pages if they break and I can't fix them, or if they're redundant but I don't do it often since it doesn't happen often.

As for finishing things... Certain parts of my site are project oriented but other parts of my site are something I consistently keep updated. It depends.

[starbreaker]

The way I see it, websites don't come with warranties. If somebody is putting up a website at their own expense, they're doing it for their own reasons. Whether their website is of any use to me is not their concern; they owe me nothing.

[Junebug]

I really love project-oriented webpages and websites. They tend to have a lot of polish and care, like they're something the creator wanted to show people by shining a spotlight on whatever it is that matters to them. For me, all my website building has been project-oriented too. I don't worry at all about keeping things updated for the sake of making it seem like I haven't disappeared from it. Rather, I do feel bad that I don't update the fansite, but that's because it shows that I'm procrastinating on the topics I want to write about (the other manga volume covers pages, certain analyses of character arcs, and the like), so the disappointment is with myself for not doing something I find valuable and instead spending my time on things less important.

I haven't had a reason to delete a page yet, although pages do get updated when it's time to remove the "come back later" text I leave for partially built pages. And about subversive acts...? Honestly, I couldn't care less about such a thing. I create this site purely for myself. I want site visitors, but I have no interest in playing games with them. What you see is most certainly what you get at Vanitas Vanitatum Omnia Vanitas.

[xixxii]

Can page deletion be a design choice? A subversive act? Like artists that burn their paintings or street group artworks that are cleaned after the show. Like something that is not meant to last

i hadn't thought about this at all before! i generally think of deleting things in a purely functional mindset... it's pretty unusual, i think, for people to voluntarily delete pages from the internet for design/artistic/etc reasons. i think it absolutely can be a design choice or subversive act! i imagine it'd be similarly controversial as other forms of destruction of art & art not meant to be seen, which people are typically SUPER resistant to. (emily dickinson wanted her writing burned after her death and never published; goya's saturn devouring his son was never supposed to be exhibited; etc)

it's a really interesting idea! it's not one i personally resonate with so i wouldn't do it - i myself am really resistant to deleting things and find ephemeral/temporary artwork very sad haha - but it's interesting nonetheless! kind of in line with melonland being closed on mondays, i think. a push back against the idea that everything should always be available immediately forever.

[McMagnetic]

Talking about this, under which conditions do you delete a page? Maybe because it something private, outdated, undesired or time-exclusive. File reorganization does not count

I delete pages on my site with outdated info or when they're not really of any use to me anymore. I know you said file reorganization doesn't count, but I recently went through and deleted all the useless pages I don't need anymore or that nobody views on my site.
I'm an archival freak and I always save everything, which makes all this hard for me hahaha