I like to think of "responsive" in regards to the web in a bit more of an abstract way. Responsive means "reacting quickly and positively," or "answering." With the web, I think of it the same way. All websites are responsive in the definition of the word. Unless a website is down, the website ought to be able to open on any device of size, answering the "call" to pull the files on a server. Whether or not it looks good, many websites will still open on other types of devices.

But when we think about how the web works, the "positively" part of responsive is incredibly important. When sites are "unresponsive" they are unable to function on a variety of devices without losing function. Important information may no longer be visible or easy to find. Sites may be scaled to the point that they are not usable, links may no longer be clickable, elements may move in unusable ways, anything is possible in sites that are not made to be responsive!

When we say responsive about the web, we mean a site that will be able to come up on different devices without a loss of quality or content. I do not think that quality has to mean looking good, but maintaining the original feel and "quality" of the site, where "quality" means the construction and methodology behind the design of the site. This is important not only for ease for the general public, but for people that have accessibility needs. Responsiveness also makes the web more ideal for everyone, but particularly for the owners of the websites. By having a more responsive website, businesses and individuals have sites that offer more to customers or visitors and make the site easier/more intriguing to revisit because it is easy to use and work.