Q: When was Brainwrap founded?
A: Brainwrap began developing websites in 1999. While this pales in comparison to, say, the Nisiyama Onsen Keiunkan hotel of Japan (the world's oldest continuously-running company, founded circa 705 AD), it does make us among the most experienced in the website development industry, which has only realistically existed since around 1995.
While Brainwrap's main business remains website design, development and hosting, other services added more recently include analog-to-digital video transfer and editing; Macintosh support, consulting and tutoring; and other related services.
Q: Who runs this place?
A: Brainwrap was originally run by co-founders and old college friends Charles Gaba and Keith Skronek. In early 2001, Skronek sold his half of the business to Gaba, who has run the company ever since.
Charles Gaba has been a technophile and all-purpose cybergeek for as long as he can remember, and an active website designer since 1997. An award-winning film producer, his work has been broadcast nationally on the Bravo Network and the Independent Film Channel. He spent six years working for National Amusements before co-founding Brainwrap Web Design.
Mr. Gaba has been referring to himself in the third-person in this description because he feels that it makes him sound a bit less full of himself. He is most likely wrong about this point, and assures the reader that he's actually a pretty laid-back guy.
Q: Isn't it true, Mr. Gaba, that you've been retained as an expert witness? Please remember, you're under oath!
A: Yes; twice, actually. I've been retained as both a consultant as well as testified as an expert witness in two civil cases between other web developers and their respective clients. In one case, I worked on behalf of the plaintiff; on the other, on behalf of the defendent. Fortunately, I was on the legally (and morally) correct side in both cases, so I had no ethical dilemma.
Q: So, is my website gonna be hosted out of your basement?
A: No. Brainwrap utilizes professional web servers via Media Temple of California and, more recently, Liquid Web, based in Lansing, Michigan. Both companies have provided excellent customer service with virtually no server downtime for as long as Brainwrap has worked with them.
Q: Why is the company called "Brainwrap?"
A: Because Google®, Yahoo!® and most of the other goofy-sounding internet company names were already taken. Admittedly, Brainwrap has a slightly smaller market capitalization...
Q: Seriously, where the heck does the name "Brainwrap" come from?
A: In the film exhibition industry, the cluster of pulleys and guides in the center of a film projection platter system is referred to as the "brain." If the film gets snagged or caught on one of the pulleys, you end up with an tangled mess of 35mm film wrapped around the center cluster, known as a "brain wrap." Needless to say, in the film exhibition industry, "brainwrap" is not a good thing.
What does this have to do with website design? Absolutely nothing, but when we wanted to come up with a good name for our website development company, "Brainwrap" was unique, catchy, seemed to be as good a choice as anything else, and it made a great match for our slogan, "Getting on the web shouldn't make your head hurt!®" The name stuck, and has served me well ever since.
