It seems that I ruled websites for dinosaurs.

My rules say:

- clear design and focused attention (no bells and jungles to distract or divert attention)

- clean and unbiased facts --unless the facts are 'vulgar'-- (the stuff in laws: the truth, all the truth, nothing but the truth)

- minimum foot print (no wastes: computer and network resources, energy resources, 'human resources' --time--)

- minimum dependences (not relying on 'proprietary' technologies ==> maximum flexibility --adaptability--)

I can list more. But in the face of growing 'complexity' (in systems), systems evolve and mutate --not just change here and there--, a simple principle is (a psychological one): "do 'just' enough to get 'good' result". ;-)