Resistance Is NOT Futile

last updated:23 Jan 2003 12: 55 Webword time, or 23 Jan 2003 17:55 UK time

Webword Statistics - Recent Comments (Comments added for week ending Sun 19 Jan 2003) | View Other Weeks

Has Your Web Designer Ever Heard of Contrast? | Fri 17 Jan

It seems that more and more web sites, and not just small personal web sites, are switching from black to gray text. It sounds crazy, doesnt it? Why would you willingly make your text less readable? (MadMan comments: I think the blogging phenomenon was responsible for this trend.)

Fri 17 Jan 16:08 | Mac | Now don't do a Nielsen on me and pronounce that all grey text is bad. I have been using grey text for quite a while now, and I use it because it is less readable. Other people may be using gray, because: it's fashionable, it's not black, it makes a change, it has less contrast, it uses less ink when you print it, it's harder for people to read over your shoulder, it doesn't wear down the laptop batteries as fast, it takes less rubbing to erase it, it is more likely to be read by fit young people with proper eyesight. Or maybe they just mis-spelt black. .

Fri 17 Jan 16:57 | Gary | Internet Explorer Users, Try This Embossing Effect

Fri 17 Jan 17:16 | Tony Fonducho | It goes back to the Dave Siegel days of dark blue on a very light blue background, which was determined (possibly wisely so) to be less harsh than pure black on pure bright white. Retina burn doesn't necessarily equal readability.

Sat 18 Jan 03:51 | Matt Round | Grey text is possibly an extension of many designers' apparent desire to make text as small as possible, so that a Web page can work more like print and that nasty content stuff doesn't spoil the design.

Sat 18 Jan 05:20 | Street Preacher | The Grey Aliens will do anything and everything in their proliferation throughout our society as they adapt our world to their ways. Poor contrast web sites are yet another way the Grey Aliens communicate between their kind. It's an identifier so that they can do business amongst themselves while promoting the disenfranchisement of the Monkey Boys.

Sat 18 Jan 05:49 | daniel szuc | When I see 'grey' I think disabled (as opposed to enabled :)

Sun 19 Jan 08:16 | Hank Havelock, designer | Ponder this: Less contrast can INDEED be more readable!

Sun 19 Jan 11:51 | Bibo the God Monster | You are so right Hank. Less contrast is easier to read. You are so wise Hank. Have you written a book? I'd like to read it in my cave sometime. Can I get your autograph? Just wave your finger in the air for your signature, I'll be able to read it.

Sun 19 Jan 12:50 | Timo | The harsh aliasing on pre-OSX/XP systems is also a lot less noticeable when text is not 100% black.

Sun 19 Jan 13:42 | Mac | This HomePage uses grey text to convey different messages. The grey text at the bottom of the page tells you to ignore it by virtue of its position and colour. The other pieces of grey text are bookmarked by bolder items.

Sun 19 Jan 14:36 | Boyink | Got some examples or research Hank?

Sun 19 Jan 18:17 | Street Preacher | Grey is the mark of the devil. Deal not in his ways or his ways will come unto you.

Self-service requires people to deliver full benefit | Sat 18 Jan

Many organizations see the Web as a self-service environment where labor costs can be reduced. Self-service and convenience are not always in sync. Where that happens, nobody benefits.

Sun 19 Jan 00:03 | daniel szuc | Some things do not lend themselves to self service. Think you have to analyse the 'human' touch points and assess if these are too important to justify self service. Parts of an interaction or process may justify it. Think I am addicted to webword ... where does one seek help? :)

Sun 19 Jan 14:07 | Mac | This is another problem that I had with the 37signals e-commerce search report ( see screen dump ) Upon entering, you ask the first salesperson you see if they carry the power cable you need: 'ThankMate power adapters?' The clerk responds, 'You must mean 'ThinkPad', I believe those are kept with the laptops, over in aisle two.' Luckily, most salespeople are flexible enough to get us on our way despite these minor errors. And as the top performing retail sites in this report demonstrate, the best online search engines are just as flexible. This is complete and utter hogwash. People add so much more to a 'consumer experience' than this supposed example. Anyone who starts from the premise that software can ever be better than people need their heads examining.

Sun 19 Jan 14:42 | Mac | Re: WebWord addiction. What does the 'S' stands for in 'John S Rhodes'? Tell me the name of one of my cats? Where does PeterV live? What nationality is Vincent Bernard? Who is obsessed by Samuel Johnson? Otto Octavius is ??????? Who said 'over both the short-term and long-term studies less than 50% of the features of the word processor were used total.' What day was John born on? Who suggested this movie quote about Making concessions ? 'Okay, but I get to be on top' : Big Here are some clues. Now tell me if you are addicted.

WebWord Comment | Sat 18 Jan

My gut tells me that with this kind of negativity, we are finally on the way to recovery. The bears are on a rampage, which indicates to me that the sun will soon rise on Wall Street.

Sun 19 Jan 12:20 | Anonymous | Nah. Depends on how that war thing plays out too.

WebWord Comment | Wed 15 Jan

(Disclaimer: This has nothing to do with usability.) The friction between the United States and North Korea is very serious. However, Im terribly bothered when news like this shows up. It is much too wag the dog for my liking. Are we supposed to believe that this hasnt been known for a very long time? MSNBC makes it sound like this is something new. Dont be fooled! These concentration camps are certainly not new. When I see stories like this I guess that I feel that the United States government is working with the media to manipulate public opinion. Perhaps Im too paranoid. But, if nothing else, MSNBC is acting as a willing puppet for the government to generate more page views. Listen folks, please think about why this is news now, and think about how reporting like this impacts the public, and how it benefits the media (increase profits) and the current administration (shape public opinion).

Wed 15 Jan 23:17 | John S. Rhodes | At least this was part of the article: 'President Bush told author and Washington Post Assistant Managing Editor Bob Woodward last year that he was well aware of the camps and the atrocities. That, officials say, partly explains why Bush insisted on North Korea’s inclusion in the “axis of evil” in his 2002 State of the Union address.' So, at least they aren't trying to say that they didn't have any knowledge of this activity. That makes me feel a little bit better. The one thing I need to keep in mind for all of this stuff, is that I only know about 1% of the whole story. Perhaps much less. I'm an ignorant little monkey. I try to objectively observe but that just doesn't work. Not. Enough. Data. Oh well, what can I do? I'm still worried and curious and cautious and skeptical.

Thu 16 Jan 00:09 | Anonymous | 'I feel that the United States government is working with the media to manipulate public opinion.' Well, duh! And NBC's Today Show is in Saudia Arabia all week talking about how SA is USA's friend because why? Anyone who takes corporate media at face value probably believes politicians, too.

Thu 16 Jan 08:01 | Mac | In many rural areas of North America, in remote locations not far from the borders with Mexico and Canada, gulags not unlike some camps built by Mao and Stalin in the last century holds some 2,000,000 men, women and children accused of crimes. Whilst the crime rate falls a new camp is being built every week. There are even reports that prisoners in these camps are murdered by the authorities on a regular basis. A network of concentration camps has been re-activated to deal with the new threat from the 'enemy within'. Now I think broadcasters have a new challenge, reporting on homeland security. In many ways -- many, many ways -- this is a much more difficult story to report. It doesn't have very good sound or visuals. It's complicated. There are a lot of gray areas. There aren't too many photo opportunities. It can be under-reported, breeding false confidence, or over-reported, stoking unnecessary fears. Tom Ridge - June 2002

Fri 17 Jan 09:08 | Mac | A few hours after Stuttgart was captured by the French army, a Belgian journalist and myself entered the town, which was still in some disorder. The Belgian had been broadcasting throughout the war for the European Service of the BBC, and, like nearly all Frenchmen or Belgians, he had a very much tougher attitude towards 'the Boche' than an Englishman or an American would have. All the main bridges into town had been blown up, and we had to enter by a small footbridge which the Germans had evidently mad efforts to defend. A dead German soldier was lying supine at the foot of the steps. His face was a waxy yellow. On his breast someone had laid a bunch of the lilac which was blooming everywhere. The Belgian averted his face as we went past. When we were well over the bridge he confided to me that this was the first time he had seen a dead man. I suppose he was thirty five years old, and for four years he had been doing war propaganda over the radio. For several days after this, his attitude was quite different from what it had been earlier. He looked with disgust at the bomb-wrecked town and the humiliation the Germans were undergoing, and even on one occasion intervened to prevent a particularly bad bit of looting. When he left, he gave the residue of the coffee we had brought with us to the Germans on whom we were billeted. A week earlier he would probably have been scandalized at the idea of giving coffee to a 'Boche.' But his feelings, he told me, had undergone a change at the sight of ce pauvre mort beside the bridge: it had suddenly brought home to him the meaning of war. And yet, if we had happened to enter the town by another route, he might have been spared the experience of seeing one corpse out of the -- perhaps -- twenty million that the war has produced. Revenge Is Sour by George Orwell

Sat 18 Jan 19:51 | daniel szuc | Unfortunatley and sadly not new, BUT worth reporting nonetheless (independant of the motive). People are suffering! The more tragic part to this is that perhaps 'humans' have not learnt anything. Only 50 years ago - http://www.remember.org (I recall Mac posting something similar) Right Mac? Always remember.

Sun 19 Jan 11:17 | Mac | Daniel, I did post a link to that site, and I still think that it is very important to try and learn from our past. But the most important thing is to remember that each and every one of us can make a difference, positively or negatively.

A Day of Protest Glance | Sat 18 Jan

A look at a selection of anti-war demonstrations Saturday in U.S. cities and around the world... (Comments: Here is a thought experiment. What would it take for the blogosphere to prevent war?)

Sat 18 Jan 22:09 | daniel szuc | What exactly will it take to stop war? What does the Bush Administration need to know? Can anyone point out the policy difference between North Korea and Iraq? Discussion welcome :) 'All we are saying is give peace a chance' http://www.leoslyrics.com/listlyrics.php?sid=%D0%8E%3FR%09%7BR%3F http://www.merseyworld.com/imagine/lyrics/imagine.htm What would John say now?

Sun 19 Jan 07:28 | Adam Greenfield | John, you just sent a chill down my back. The idealist in me thinks that day may not be so far off - if only because the combined mass of blogs and other net-driven or -organized protests may help those of us against the war realize that we're not alone, not by a long stretch. It's that sense of isolation that's been so poisonous these last months... I just saw this at Veen's, and of course there's coverage at Smart Mobs. Cheers.

Sun 19 Jan 11:07 | Mac | What would it take for the blogosphere to prevent war? Walk outside, talk to your neighbours, start a local anti-war group, go to the local shopping centre on a Saturday and talk to people about why the war should not be waged and what ordinary people can do to stop it.

The User Experience of Government Online: Recommendations for a Citizen-Centric Future | Thu 16 Jan

The study focused primarily on the user experience of government portal sites, comparing cross-agency portal sites that provide access to multiple departments within a single tier of government (such as fed.gov.au and vic.gov.au) with the new generation of intergovernmental portal sites that provide access to multiple tiers of government (such as Service Tasmania and Service South Australia). The study consisted of 12 usability test sessions with representative citizens, who carried out typical everyday tasks on the sites such as paying council rates and renewing vehicle registration. (Comments: Im starting to get confused about the actual value of usability reports. The 33 page report referenced above is free, yet 37signals is offering a report on e-commerce search for $99. What are these types of reports really worth?)

Fri 17 Jan 04:34 | Mac | Initial results from my report comparison study: NNGroup Design Guidelines for Search - Cost:$45, Value To Me:$25 UIE Getting Them to What They Want - Cost:$24.99, Value To Me:$20 37signals E-Commerce Search Report - Cost:$99, Value To Me:$15 If anyone has an example of a good 'free' report on search then I will add it to my study.

Fri 17 Jan 12:33 | MadMan | Mac, could you please write a review of the 37Signals report? I don't buy any report but I still would like to know if they live up to the hype.

Fri 17 Jan 12:42 | MadMan | Also, I'd like to know how you calculated 'value'. As an aside, I wonder how the search usability of somesite.com makes any difference in the work we have to do, other than give us some figures to spout to someone who wants an 'ROI calculation'. For instance, say Webword.com was an e-commerce site and we were working on the search engine. Would knowing that Amazon.com's search is rated 90% good give you anything useful to go on? Perhaps some 'heuristics' and 'best practices' (but we all know the limitations of heuristics.) Oh, and I also want to know about 37Signals' testing methods. Is that mentioned in the report? How many users did they test? How did they build the profiles of these users? Or did they just test among the four of them? Addendum: As I was typing the above paragraph, I glanced at their report page, and I found this little nugget: Who conducted the tests in this report? Each test featured in this report was conducted by 37signals. We did not use third parties or external testers. I see... Ah yes, a real world usability test. Wonderful. I'm sure the four of them are representative of the typical users. Seems about as useful as Uncle Jakob's heuristics. Comments?

Fri 17 Jan 13:31 | Mac | MadMan, here is my one word report on the 37signals report: Disappointing It would make a very good powerpoint presentation. I really wanted to like this report, but it left me feeling cold. It looks very good, the layout is very tasteful, and it proves that 37signals are a competent outfit who I would be happy to work with, but...... Jakobs e-commerce search report is a better example of this type of report. The 37signals report boasts that it contains 150+ screenshots, in 45 pages! They are sceenshots in the same way that this is a screenshot of WebWord I would rather have seen a lot less screenbites, and a lot more words. What do I mean by Value To Me ? Well this is how much I would pay for the report after knowing what was in it. This means that by my measurement of Value For Money the UIE Report is about 5 times better than the 37signals report. I have involved no 3rd parties in my report of reports and have carried out all my testing with the aid of a dumb animal. All the views and opinions are based on my own feelings and prejudices and cannot be construed in any way as a robust review. I will get it finished in the next 10 days and will see if John wants to post it on WebWord. Oh and does anyone know, how much of the reports I can include in a review without breaking copyright? Is a screendump of a third or a page too much?

Fri 17 Jan 15:38 | MadMan | It comes down to 'fair use' for review. A page is probably OK if you're critiquing most of the page. Otherwise, restrict it to the parts you're reviewing. 'Fair use' has no clear legal boundary. It's a subjective test. If you reproduced 30% of the report, you may no longer be using it fairly.

Sat 18 Jan 17:39 | Ron Zeno | What are these types of reports really worth? Consider: Do the authors have the qualifications to write such a report? Have the authors demonstrated they are capable of producing research at a certain level of quality? Have the authors demonstrated they understand the topic on which they report? Are the authors targeting people who will ask these questions? UIE: No, no, no, no. (Recent example here) NNGroup: Yes, yes, yes, no. 37signals: ?, ?, ?, no. (Though I've liked some of what I've seen from them, they're unproven and don't disclose their qualifications.) Each test featured in this report was conducted by 37signals. We did not use third parties or external testers. I interpret this to mean that the work is solely their own, rather than a comment on what type of evaluation they did.

Sun 19 Jan 09:41 | Charlie Xavier | I think 'We did not use third parties or external testers' is pretty clear. They didn't test with any other users than themselves. Maybe someone from 37Signals can clarify it here for us? (I know at least one of them reads this site)

Business-centred design | Wed 15 Jan

(GUUUI) People want to be sold to. We want to be suggested alternatives, even if they are more expensive. We want to know about complementary stuff, which can enhance the value of a product and give us a more complete solution.

Sat 18 Jan 19:40 | daniel szuc | Think there is something to be said for 'usability principles' being applied to physical shop designs. For example, conducting 'site visits' and looking at how the operational design can impact the 'user experience' and the perception of the 'brand' - this in turn may have run on effects on the development of products, staff and customer support applications. After all its the 'total customer experience' :)

Dust or Magic? | Fri 17 Jan

THIS NEW, annual meeting is for everyone who is seriously concerned about the fate of creative work and creative workers in the new-media workplace. IT WILL COVER the psychology, the politics, the philosophy, and the nitty-gritty hands-on practicalities of creative work with the computer.

Fri 17 Jan 15:28 | Bibo the God Monster | The link describes a gathering for creative folk. Mac's comment refers to HCI folk. Those are different groups. A web designer who loves his job because of the creativity had better be a consultant or in a position that allows him/her to design a variety of sites. Most web design is not focused on creativity. It's a science. That's why graphic designers despise HCI folk. HCI introduces all sorts of observation-based changes that don't always jive with what Chet and Stacy learned in Art School.

Fri 17 Jan 15:54 | Mac | Bibo, now I am getting very worried. In this context I would describe myself as a 'HCI folk', yet I am being invited to speak at a 'gathering for creative folk', about usability no less! What shall I do? Am I allowed to be creative, or should I be hating myself for being a 'web designer'? I know some people who are graphic designers.. do you think they are just patronising me with their friendship? Will there be sniffer dogs on the door that see thorugh my pitiful attempt to have a soul!! I think you may be more bitter and twisted than I am!

Sat 18 Jan 07:22 | daniel szuc | Mac you can always borrow my 'Gamellian suit' - http://www.earthxia.com/get.asp?action=supporting4 Creative and sure to get a laugh!

Sat 18 Jan 11:32 | Ron Zeno | Caveat emptor - Do any of the sponsors or organizers have any motivation or know-how to create standards for topics and presenters that go beyond the need for profits?

Sat 18 Jan 17:28 | Bibo the God Monster | 'Am I allowed to be creative, or should I be hating myself for being a 'web designer'?' They will snicker and laugh behind your back at every creative thought you utter. 'Do you think they are just patronising me with their friendship?' To them, you are a developmentally disabled little boy they have befriended for comedic relief -- like a cat playing with a wounded mouse. What fun! 'What shall I do?' While you are entertaining them at their gathering, have an accomplice break the windows of their Chevy Impalas and fill their vehicles with melted chicken fat. Graphic designers hate chicken fat.

Are Hummer Owners Idiots? | Thu 16 Jan

As reported in a superlative Washington Monthly article that quotes extensively from Bradshers book, SUV owners tend to be, in part, more selfish, self-centered, narcissistic, insecure and vain than their car-driving brethren. Oh yes they do. And the research backs it up.

Sat 18 Jan 02:43 | Anonymous | Having the displeasure of living in the suburbs and having just finished Bradsher's excellent book on how the SUV is destroying America, I can attest to the fact that, yes, a majority of SUV owners are indeed, self-centered assholes. (sigh) How many times have you tried to park your car into a space marketed 'compact cars', only to have yourself boxed in by two huge SUVs hanging over the line?

Sat 18 Jan 10:11 | Anonymous | The SUV is destroying America? What, have they used their GPS and Onstar systems to communicate and secretly plot to do harm? Are there mass late-night low RPM lights off movements mapping out our vulnerabilities? I mean, I know they have on-board computers and all but who knew they were capable of mass destruction? These must be the same vehicles that cause the accidents I read about : 'Joe was headed east-bound on the highway when suddenly his SUV veered left and rolled in the meridian'. How about the headlight that recently proclaimed 'SUV kills 6 in Accident' - the dastardly SUV took advantage of a sleeping driver to do it's harm... Can't let your guard drop once while behind the wheel of those evil SUV's....

My usability study is better than yours | Wed 15 Jan

(Register) It appears the methodology for this report did not include testing with real users. (Comments: Ill bet that the web sites in the report really do suck. However, since there is no data, the companies are probably quite upset by these professional opinions. Important question: Are usability people liable for slander if they make claims against companies and no data is available for support? Oh boy!)

Thu 16 Jan 08:22 | Mac | You mean someone has bought Homepage Usability (and actually read it) ! Then they have taken the 113 guidelines, applied them to some web sites and then called the resulting scores research ! Well I Never.........

Thu 16 Jan 13:26 | Ron Zeno | Another legal reference: libel (Faster server, nice cross-referencing.) Are usability people liable for slander if they make claims against companies and no data is available for support? No more or less so than any individual.

Thu 16 Jan 17:27 | Lydia | I think it depends on the way you phrase it. Most people preparing a usability review say 'my observation is that ....' or they use comparisons to highlight weak points, so they are not reporting information that cannot be proven - you are seeing for yourself that the links are green when best usability says they should be blue (or whatever). Perhaps a good test would be to see if the word 'allege' might be required in order to cover your ass. You wouldn't, for example, say 'the website allegedly uses improperly colored links' but you would say 'the president allegedly laced the office water coolers with a powerful hallucinogen.' 'The alleged violation of clearly labeling navigational icons makes this an ineffective front page' would sound weird, but 'The door was spray painted pink, Mr. Smith alleges, by his neighbor in retaliation for cutting down a shade tree last summer.'

Sat 18 Jan 03:56 | daniel szuc | From Article: 'He said first impressions were important and that if corporate homepages weren't up to scratch then it delivered a negative image of the company.' Agree that 'first impressions' can impact, but 'first impressions' can initially give the user a feeling of trust and 'these folks know what they are doing' but only through 'use' can you evaluate if it supports their requirements, and as a result 'impacting' the brand perception as a result. Wow thats a long sentence! Have seen many examples of 'ah yes ... professional looking site' but does not support my first couple of clicks and interactions. For the record I do think design and brand are very important.

Offshore Outsourcing | Wed 15 Jan

(New Architect) Covansyss Massey says his companys clients can typically expect a minimum of 20 to 25 percent savings when working with an offshore vendor. (Comments: What about outsourcing usabiltiy to China and India? Thoughts on this?)

Thu 16 Jan 09:36 | daniel szuc | We are open for business :) Having just returned from Shanghai and planning a 'usability seminar' in Shanghai for 2003 it will be interesting to to assess the interest levels to usability in the PRC. There are companies hiring 'market research' firms to get a better understanding of their customers, but its rare, even for the larger brands e.g. http://www.haier.com. Nielsen also had something on this at - http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20020916.html

Fri 17 Jan 00:15 | MadMan | John asks: What about outsourcing usabiltiy to China and India? Thoughts on this? Wouldn't work at all, John. Though I'm from India, I'm also too aware of the work that most Indian software companies do. Since there is such a gap between USA and India (of time, distance, and culture), we are usually given a spec and asked to code to that. There is little opportunity to find a representative user group of the actual users for usability testing. There is practically no scope for contextual enquiry and other methods because we're an ocean away. And lastly, cultural differences make it harder to predict how Americans would use the software.

Fri 17 Jan 00:32 | John S. Rhodes | MadMan writes: 'Wouldn't work at all, John.' For what it is worth, I just read that some Indian companies are getting into the more 'advanced' areas of the information technology business. So, I guess that I am still curious!

Fri 17 Jan 22:30 | daniel szuc | If we are talking about running a usability study on the 'country demographic' - outsourcing makes great sense- yes! In other words, 'outsource' the work or activity to a company who have the direct access to the right market e.g China, India or whatever. However, this is assuming of course that the company developing the product consider these markets as important in the first place in terms of users and sales. On a separate note, my point on market research was to provide some in sight and recent note as to how some companies in China are viewing the importance of 'market research' (this has some impact on how I think they will view 'usability research' in the years ahead, may even be a harder sell in China :) Time will tell.

Who Had the Worst User Experience? | Wed 15 Jan

(ClickZ) Let me offer three examples of companies that failed to deliver a good user experience during the holiday season. They failed through a lack of the basic abilities to do thorough design, implementation, quality assurance, and intradepartment communication.

Thu 16 Jan 04:10 | Mac | Still waiting for my christmas present from amazon.co.uk My Perception: Amazon don't care as they haven't even bothered to apologise. They have lost an awful lot of brownie points with me and I will now conciously give another online bookseller a try.

Thu 16 Jan 04:59 | Alan Fisher | Mac, I recently tried WH Smith, here in the UK, and they're worse than Amazon. I've also just tried Tesco's online bookstore (prices beat Amazon and Smiths nearly every time). I was promised delivery by Friday, so I'm waiting to see how good they are at keeping their word.

Thu 16 Jan 08:16 | Mac | Alan, I have found a new method that seems to work, what happens is this: A Company buys or rents a building in an area where lots of people congregate. They have 'real' books displayed in the building and anyone can go in and look around. if you see a book you like, you can pay for it using a number of different methods, after which you can take the book home then and there! If they don't have a book you want then you can order it and pick it up the next time you are passing. You have to pay a little bit more for your books but I think this approach might just catch on.

Thu 16 Jan 09:29 | daniel szuc | There are even some buildings with books you can borrow and then return later :)

Thu 16 Jan 11:11 | Alan Fisher | Look, I was being serious, but if you're going to start making silly stories up...

Thu 16 Jan 15:06 | Mac | Daniel, that sounds fantastic! I wonder if they would consider doing the same thing with music and films.

Thu 16 Jan 21:12 | Lydia | Mac, imagine the possibilities of such a scheme. Why, I bet they could also offer tables and chairs so you could read the books thoroughly before making a decision. It could even be a little social thing that you do with friends. Or, wait! You could meet someone entirely new, and have a conversation. Wow. A little old-school, but definitely worth a glance.

Fri 17 Jan 03:34 | Mac | And people take the mickey out of me when I call myself an 'Enlightened Luddite'.

Fri 17 Jan 04:12 | Alan Fisher | But to make these type of places really trustworthy, they'd have to have someone who stopped you at the door and said 'Welcome' and told you what their mission statement is. You know, just like all good websites do...

Fri 17 Jan 05:13 | Mac | When you picked up a book, someone could leap out in front of you and do a 'mime' for a product. But you could pay a small child to follow you around and punch the mimers before they got too annoying. Every third person you see could ask you your age and enquire as to whether you would be interested in pe**** enlargement. When you went back after a few months they could have moved the building and shoved all the books into bookshelves hanging from the ceiling. If they gave you some kind of card that recorded your personal details it could be used to speed up the check-in/out process.

Fri 17 Jan 06:13 | Alan Fisher | Mac, There's only 3 asterisks in pe***. Unless you don't get the same kind of spam that I do - 'pebble enlargement' perhaps, for gardeners who want a rockery but can't afford real rocks? Anyway, I think we're onto a winning concept here. Know any venture capitalists?

Fri 17 Jan 06:53 | Mac | Alan, I think that my 'river in Egypt' ending must come from a better class of spammer.

Fri 17 Jan 15:21 | MadMan | Alright, we're done here. Go home, kids.

Human Factors, Critical Thinking: Toward a Reliable and Valid Usability Testing Methodology: Part 1 | Sun 12 Jan

(Ron Zeno) There is no known usability testing method that is both reliable and valid. End of discussion. Why do people continue to ignore this, when instead we should be doing something about it?

Fri 17 Jan 14:30 | Mac | now this I like a lot. Your comments ooze with thoughfulness and precision. This is exactly the work that need to be done so that I can repel the 'usability chameleons' with their 'finger in the air' methods, ever changing job titles and pocket full of small knives. I want to spend time working with people who actually know what they are doing, and care about doing something that they can be proud of, rather than something they can mis-represent in their next job application. I think this clearly states that Usability Does Not Work. I would like to see Why Usability Does Not Work and Usability That Works. By next week, if you don't mind.

Mouth Wide Shut | Thu 16 Jan

(Joel on Software) Should you talk endlessly about your products under development, in hopes of building buzz, or should you hold off until youve got something ready to go?

Fri 17 Jan 07:12 | Mac | It depends who you are. If you are MS then you should talk about them for years before because it will disrupt your competitors. This will not change until Microsoft get some real competition and then 'discover' that their customers should be their no1 priority rather than their market share.

WebWord Comment | Thu 16 Jan

An unusual way of solving a problem in mens urinals. Could this be called UI design?

Thu 16 Jan 05:45 | Mac | You can try this yourself, by dropping cigarette butts, or disenfectant cakes into urinals and then observing the results.

Thu 16 Jan 06:19 | daniel szuc | Brings a whole new meaning to 'designing on the fly' :)

Thu 16 Jan 11:10 | John S. Rhodes | I just sent this note to 12 people... 'One of the best examples of usability I have ever seen. I'm serious. This is damn clever.' I really do like this idea. Simple. Effective.

Thu 16 Jan 11:16 | Berna | That's funny! Maybe I should show this as an example during one of my 'The importance of usability' presentations... :o) I'm sure the guys'll love it! hmmm tho.. wonder if they can also apply this to the women's bathroom :opp

Thu 16 Jan 12:21 | JB | Brilliant idea and so simple. I would be interested to know if it works the second and third time for the same person...you know it is fake and thus the 'drown the fly' mindset is lost.

Thu 16 Jan 14:31 | Anonymous | A) Why would I pee on a fly, only to have it sputter up and swirl urine in the air around me? B) This design will encourage an urge in men to urinate whenever they see a fly. Drive by some roadkill? Ooops, gotta pee. C) This design will increase instances of public urination when drunk men see insects on the sidewalk. This design is a public nuisance.

Thu 16 Jan 16:56 | Lydia | If your pee is amber colored, you have more important things to worry about, my friend. I like this idea! It is similar to something I have heard about for women. In Japan, they are installing bathrooms that have constant white noise playing in the background. Most, from what I have heard, are of flowing water. This isn't for the purposes of encouraging peeing (since why would you be in a filthy public restroom if you didn't really have to go?), it is to cover the sound of urine hitting the bowl so you don't freeze up when you sit down. Before you laugh, consider that women's restrooms (at least the ones outside America, which aren't usually inexplicably full of groups of females gabbing at each other) are very quiet, especially in office buildings, and you can basically hear everything people are doing. It is very off-putting for the woman who is more modest about her toilet activity (I know it is for me). For guys, who are more playful about their functions (don't say you aren't), the fly is a very clever idea. Subtle. I bet they don't get enough repeat business to make the novelty wear off too fast, but even if they did the average guy with a good sense of humor will probably like the intent.

Thu 16 Jan 21:47 | Frank Lynch | Expect some reasonable traffic: I passed it on to Scott Rosenberg at Salon, who has linked it in his blog.

Thu 16 Jan 22:15 | John S. Rhodes | Here is Scott's blog.

Fri 17 Jan 00:10 | MadMan | Ah, but Scott linked directly to the other URL. No mention of Webword anywhere. Boo hoo! After I went to all that trouble of posting it. ;)

Fri 17 Jan 05:01 | Mac | Here is some more information about the fly. This book was published in June 2001 by a very good friend of mine. Small can be big In Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, they have used a small black outline of a fly, etched into the porcelain. It is noticed because of its position and clarity in a pristine background. 'It improves the aim' says Aad Kieboom, an economist who directs Schiphol's building expansion. 'If a man sees a fly, he aims at it.' Kieboom's staff conducted fly-in-urinal trials and found that etchings reduce spillages by 80 percent, and the attendant cleaning costs. 'We will put flies in the urinal, yes. It gives a guy something to think about. That's the perfect example of process control. Fine, laugh at me; it works.' From User-Centered Web Design by John Cato, Page 153 ( amazon link )

Fri 17 Jan 06:08 | Alan Fisher | I remember reading a newspaper article a few years ago about a landlord who had put a fake spider in a urinal in his pub. Unfortunately, he'd wired it up to a weak electric current, so that anyone tempted to pee on it got a mild electric shock! Don't you just love practical jokers? The story may be an 'urban legend', but ever since then I've scrupulously avoided peeing on foreign objects in urinals. Wouldn't work for me!

Fri 17 Jan 06:55 | Frank Lynch | Scott's not mentioning WebWord is my bad, I failed to tell him where I saw it. Sorry!

Designing for the Multiple Personalities of Users | Wed 15 Jan

(UIE) It never occurred to us that users would exhibit multiple personalities when using applications. (Comments: Isnt this really just another spin on personas?)

Thu 16 Jan 03:03 | Eric Scheid | Not quite. Although related, it is tangential. If one were to consider how personas fit into this perspective, we would need to consider documenting multiple personalities for each persona. Most personas are written with single purpose single expertise (Jane, a housewife, wants to buy regular groceries for her family, hardly used a computer before, ATMs scare her; Bob, a yuppie, needs some once off twee goodies for an upcoming dinner party, works in office all day, impresses the secretary with the magical powers of the internet; etc) BTW, the core vs ring comparison isn't new, UIE had an article 'Software Design: Is Your App a Core or a Ring?' in December 1996. That article was focussed more on the features/functionality/marketing of software programs, but this new one is a nice re-visit given the current UCD climate, focussing more on the users involved.

Thu 16 Jan 08:46 | daniel szuc | Perhaps it comes down to 'domain knowledge' and what a person feels comfortable in. Although the UI still needs to support the user well within that domain. The interest level can also assist the success or failure of the application. If I have more interest, I may be more willing to play or tweak an application to suit my needs. Also be more willing to put up with 'bad' design.

Thu 16 Jan 12:27 | Berna | I'm with Daniel on this. The interest level makes sense to me. So now what? We're going to start designing differently for 'interested users' and 'non-interested' users? In most cases, that's probably people who buy our produc and people who don't, so we wouldnt have to worry about it. But when it comes to financial software, it's probably the opposite: design for 'non-interested' users and you should be covering the majority of the user population. Seriously, in a perfect world, maybe we would have the freedom to design as many different versions of something as we wished. But I think going to this extent might push the wrong buttons of both marketing, development and higher management (i.e CFO and/or CEO). I know ours wouldnt be pleased at all. I'm already having a hard time trying to explain the importance of usability and why we need to identify the users and have customization built into the tools, but if I go for something like this? Don't even want to think about the end of that... I think we should find a way to simplify usability itself. I have a feeling we're making this more complicated than it should be on ourselves.

Thu 16 Jan 13:11 | Ron Zeno | More pseudoscience to fool the unwary. This gets very old... multiple personality disorder

Thu 16 Jan 14:20 | MadMan | (I thought I posted this in the morning, but apparently MT didn't register it.) This article is mostly useless. Let me see... It never occurred to us that users would exhibit multiple personalities when using applications. but later in the article, they've known about it for years: This distinction of Core versus Ring has helped us understand user requirements a lot better than any previous model we had. Over the years since we first developed the model. and What made the difference were Chip's core competencies. Before Chip acquired the systems, he'd had tremendous experience diagnosing vehicles. He'd been working on cars since he was 11 years old. He knew the workings of automobiles inside and out. Therefore, when he purchased the diagnostic system, he was looking for an extension of his existing skill set and knowledge. The system was basically an extra set of hands, allowing him to diagnose cars faster and more effectively, but not doing anything radically different than what he was doing before he'd gotten the system. Well... DUH! People are naturally likely to be experts at what they've been doing for ages. They know the tools, they know the terminology, they know the processes. I could've told you that. UIE is just figuring it out? The diagnostic system is what we call a 'Core Application' in Chip's case. Core applications extend the existing core skills of the user. The financial system is what we call a 'Ring Application.' Ring applications deliver functionality that is beyond the user's core competencies. (We call it a ring because it is outside of the core.) Ah, creating terms in a style popularised by Alan Cooper himself. Yay! There's more, but I see no point in going into that detail.

Fri 17 Jan 02:19 | daniel szuc | Berna - 'I have a feeling we're making this more complicated than it should be on ourselves.' Agree!! Keep the service sell simple. Most companies will not buy into most of the usability tools unfortunately, so you really have to sell in something that will give tangible results and show improvements to the product ASAP. Then if the customer is impressed with the results you can start throwing in 'value-added' usability services like (and as much as I hate to say it) - 'user needs analysis' Again, where are the VP of User Experience folks when you need them to backup your pitch ;)

Future of operating systems: simplicity | Mon 13 Jan

The next-generation operating system starts with the user. It ignores the underlying hardware and as a result, such systems are inherently less efficient than todays primitive, machine-centered ones. Instead, it reflects the shape of your life. Its role is to track your life event by event, moment by moment, thought by thought. (Comments: Sounds a bit like the Ghost.)

Thu 16 Jan 21:28 | daniel szuc | Is there a truly 'task' focused operating system on the market today? One that leads with the task and then opens the correct application to fulfill the job? Currently the OS is application of file system driven. How about the system understanding daily working behaviours and learning what you need and when?

From Fluff to Functional: Dotcom Titles Evolve | Wed 15 Jan

: As for information architects often user-interface experts involved in determining how Web sites are organized companies may no longer see a pressing need for such expertise. In fact, these ambiguous titles unfamiliar to CEOs and other higher-ups may play a role in who suffers from layoffs, Claus suggests: If they cant figure out what you do, are you more likely to be cut? (MadMan comments: IAs are often user interface experts? Hmmm...)

Wed 15 Jan 09:43 | John S. Rhodes | Nice catch MadMan. I liked this part of the article: Doffing expresses skepticism about the Web producer title. 'They couldn't code, they couldn't sell, and they just sort of orchestrated the process,' he says. 'They're content editors. I would bet that nine out of 10 people who held the title of Web producer no longer hold it.' ...couldn't code. ...couldn't sell. Ouch! On the one hand, both of these points are true. IAs and usability folks done generally code or sell. 'Kill 'em all!' On the other hand, CEOs don't code or sell either. Draw your own conclusions.

Wed 15 Jan 10:03 | Boyink | I thought the jump from 'orchestrated the process' to 'content editor' was interesting. I expected them to go with 'Project Manager'. It seems like historically there has always been a role in between end users, programmers, and business folks. Call it project manager, business analyst, producer, strategist, whatever...but I don't see the need or the percieved need for that role going away anytime soon.

Wed 15 Jan 10:33 | Mac | I would classify most of the people I see on WebWord as either Programmers or Designers. End Of Story. You can call a Designer an 'Organic To Digital Lever Designer' or you can call a Programmer a 'Symbolic instruction Architect', but there are only two differentations that I make about computery people. You are either a person who 'talks about how you should do it', or you are a preson that 'does it'.

Wed 15 Jan 11:09 | Boyink | Interesting, as I don't put myself into either one of those categories. I've been a programmer - and still do some coding, and I do some design work, I wouldn't put either of those on my business card. Of course, 'design' can be construed as just about anything (and I've already suffered through the debate on Sigia-L, thank you very much...;)

Wed 15 Jan 12:06 | Mac | Design: the act of working out the form of something If you take some personal responsibility for what you do then you are a designer, because you are putting something of yourself into your work, rather than just following a process by rote.

Wed 15 Jan 13:08 | Boyink | Yep - sounds about as vague as the discussion on Sigia-L. Under that definition the factory production worker who looks for ways to decrease his physical input to a process would be considered a designer?

Wed 15 Jan 14:36 | Mac | And what's wrong with the example you've given? You don't have to 'do design' 24 hours a day to be a designer. You don't have to have a degree, or any kind of qualification to be a designer. If we can discuss what a designer is, then perhaps we discuss why usability testers aren't designers, and if we need 57 varieties of full time designers?

Wed 15 Jan 15:20 | Boyink | Nothing wrong with it - except that the line worker probably wouldn't want it, and it wouldn't adequately communicate their role in the company when someone asks 'what do you do'?. I'm guess I'm really only interested in this subject from the aspect of what terms best communicate (in a cocktail party or elevator pitch context) the value I can provide to potential customers. If they relate to 'Designer' the most, then a Designer I'll be.

Wed 15 Jan 16:37 | Lydia | I like your basic categories as a starting point, Mac, but I would want to have a few sub-categories to further define abilities. I am kind of middle-of-the-road when it comes to my specialization. I can do a lot of things, but am really good at one or two. It seems to me that the plethora of titles comes out of people specializing even further than that. Also, I see a bit of crossover - for instance, the guys on my team who are programmers don't just follow a spec. They contribute heavily to the design by suggesting alternatives or identifying new avenues. On the other hand, I do no programming whatsoever, I just try to understand it enough so I can make my blueprints easier to implement. I think usability testers (who aren't involved in the design end) fall in the area of QA. Happily, I see design, QA, and programming as being more interconnected than ever before (though I'm sure others would hotly debate this) and when it is good, it's really good. I'm with Boyink, though, on adapting to the situation. For my side work, I have three different business cards and pitches, depending on what the client wants. When I define myself generally, I say that I design interfaces for software programs and websites. I would personally further define design as being in the realm of graphics or information. If I merely identified myself as a designer, I think most people would think I am a graphic designer, which I'm not really that good at (I have terrible color sense, for one). Beyond that, I don't really differentiate much. Programming I might further define as object-oriented or traditional. I'd have to think about that one more.

Wed 15 Jan 18:39 | Berna | Boyink? Is there a term that adequately defines what either one of us do? Really, I'm at a loss for that. Whenever I say, Usability Testing, I'm thinking, but no, I also gathered the user requirements and designed this thing, not to mention project managing it. Then when I say User Interface/Interaction Design, I'm thinking I also Usability Tested it... When I say Human Factors.. the ever so popular <(?)><(?)> eyes appear... I suppose I deal with developers and engineers who are not very familiar with the concept...

Thu 16 Jan 09:18 | daniel szuc | 'Problem solver' is a nice title. It covers designer, programmer and usability person. If you can convince people through your work 'actions' that you are assiting improve a process and you are perceived this way - title is irrelevant. How can assist move the ball down the field towards 'business profit' and demonstrate this on an ongoing basis?

Thu 16 Jan 12:42 | Boyink | Berna - no, I don't think there is. I currently get around this problem on my business card by putting 'Principal' there. But it's still a struggle when I need to explain the services I can provide as a business. I like Daniel's 'problem solver', but the challenge to me isn't proving value once engaged with a client, but explaining myself to a potential new client. It might well be that 'web designer' is suffiently vague enough to cover all the activities you mention, but communicate enough specifics to potential clients to move the sales process along. For me, I'm about ready to start asking my current clients, or show them a list of titles and see what seems right to them as we're probably all overthinking the issue.

Thu 16 Jan 12:49 | Berna | Boyink - I like your approach of asking the clients. As it's really good that they really have seen you in action, and know more or less what you do. You should be careful not to get biased answers, depending on the clients' backgrounds and their perspective on what you do or did. Just as we do, most people also have a problem defining what a 'designer' or a 'programmer' does. Especially, if they're not in IT.

Thu 16 Jan 14:30 | Boyink | I'm not really concerned with bias. I'm guessing that if an overwhelming percentage of my current clients choose the same words to describe what I do, then roughly the same percentage of potential clients would too. Regardless, I'd feel more comfortable basing things on their input - biased or not - than upon endless discussions of the nuances of design from within the web development community.

WebWord Comment | Wed 15 Jan

This is a problem.

Thu 16 Jan 14:25 | Johnny Scalpel | It's a math problem. Standard procedure is to count the surgery tools before an operation and confirm that count after the operation.

Why Convergence won't happen | Mon 13 Jan

(David Strom) The problem with convergence is that 90% of us are happy with our TVs, especially those of us that have managed to connect up DVD players and some kind of nice sound system. We dont need no stinking Windows to run our entertainment lives. (Comments: Im not sure I agree. Where there is smoke, there is fire. Where there is hardware, there is software. Where there is software, there is Microsoft.)

Thu 16 Jan 12:03 | Brian | I think Microsoft and other IT companies will be involved in the future of entertainment devices, but not in a much different manner than simply 'merging PCs with TVs.' Personally, I lean towards Donald Norman's 'invisible computer' theory, which suggests that all computers per se will disappear behind the scenes, freeing us from having to deal with operating systems, file structures, etc. Instead, we'll see generic 'viewscreens' of all shapes and sizes, compatible with any type of input--photos, video, text, games, cable TV, animation, etc. Each screen will technically have the components of a 'computer' somewhere inside, but the purpose of the device will simply be to display information/entertainment on demand. Now THAT'S convergence.

Spears & Daggers: The Seven Deadly Sins of Free Content | Sun 12 Jan

Since no authoritative international body has yet decreed that endemic free content can be detrimental to the soul of information economies, I have voluntarily preordained this long overdue public service message: Free Kills. Lets not leave it to chance any longer and take pre-emptive action before the next-generation of absurd free business models are born.

Mon 13 Jan 09:38 | Anonymous | The article wad one big wank if you ask me. Then again, it was free.

Mon 13 Jan 12:48 | Anonymous | An advertising executive -- one of the greats -- said this... The 'free' offer changes a product. There is a certain resistance when we ask people to afterward pay for a product which came to them first as a gift. The difference is, the person responsible for this quote found an answer which would fit the Internet philosophy nicely. Correct or not, it would be testable on an individual basis. Spears prescription requires a mass change, which is not likely to happen.

Mon 13 Jan 12:51 | Frank Lynch | Yeah, it's kind of like, 'you go first.' I so think Consumer Reports was spot on to start off as a paid site, and mostly stay that way.

Wed 15 Jan 13:16 | mcw | One of the worst articles I've read. Blame the (potential) customer for not forking up $$$, and making the model work like it should! If you generate stuff the consumer wants, the consumer will pay. Until then, maybe, just maybe, nobody thinks your stuff is worth anything. Who is at fault? Look in the mirror.

Thu 16 Jan 11:59 | Brian | This was excellent! One of the funniest parody sites I've ever run across in my years of browsing! I was amazed at the amount of effort and painstaking work that clearly went into this site, all seemingly dedicated to the proposition that people voluntarily exchanging information was somehow evil because it was 'bad for the economy.' Absolutely hilarious... and in places, the writer even managed to sound semi-coherent, as if his was a halfway reasonable perspective. Very amusing stuff. I wish there were online humor awards so I could nominate this guy.

putting my job where my mouth is | Mon 06 Jan

(Lawrence Lessig) Here goes: So (a) if a law like the one I propose is passed on a national level, and (b) it does not substantially reduce the level of spam, then (c) I will resign my job. I get to decide whether (a) is true; Declan can decide whether (b) is true. If (a) and (b) are both true, then I’ll do (c) at the end of the following academic year.

Thu 16 Jan 07:36 | Philip Chalmers | AS far as I can see Lessig proposes no remedy against off-shore spammers. Anyone got any ideas what to do about these?

RFID tags: Big Brother in small packages | Mon 13 Jan

Instead, in the future, we could be tracked because well be wearing, eating and carrying objects that are carefully designed to do so. The generic name for this technology is RFID, which stands for radio frequency identification. (Comments: RFID = Mobil SpeedPass.)

Thu 16 Jan 07:02 | Philip Chalmers | David Brin has argued in several places that the rich and powerful can always get the personal info they want about others and therefore privacy legislation is a waste of time and the only protection is complete openness and accountability - see for example http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0004A687-58E3-1C70-84A9809EC588EF21&pageNumber=1&catID=2 (PS David Brin is an award-winning science fiction author and ex-scientist whose main interest now seems to be impact of technology)

Security Threats to Beware of in 2003 | Mon 13 Jan

Microsoft, for example, patched more than 80 vulnerabilities in its Internet Explorer browser last year. However, as many as 30 IE vulnerabilities remain unpatched...

Wed 15 Jan 04:26 | Alan Fisher | Is it just me, or do other people immediately not trust any article where the headline is gramatically mangled? Perhaps it's because the majority of spam I receive is full of bad grammar, mis-spellings etc?

Wed 15 Jan 10:08 | Boyink | No, it's not just you. If they can't take the time to get the headline right I don't trust the rest of the article either.

Thu 16 Jan 06:54 | Philip Chalmers | The headline didn't put me off. The depressing thing is that if you follow the article's recommendations you spend as much time loading & applying patches as you do using the computer. There so many patches, for so many apps, Microsoft's site is a nightmare - slow, hard to navigate because it's priority is to promote upgrades, dependent on Javascript which sometimes contains errors especially if you aren't using the latest IE. Unfortunately MS has little incentive to fix this for existing products but might do so for its next OS in order to sell it.

But Can It Run Doom? | Mon 13 Jan

(Wired) When any device gets smart enough, someone, somewhere ports the classic first-person shooter to it, simply because they can. We charted the evolution of silicon over a decade, as seen through the march of alien-splattering marines.

Tue 14 Jan 13:11 | Chris | The lack of Doom severely hampered the Amiga 1200 as the games computer in the early/mid-nineties. It did eventually get ported (1997, I think) but the damage was done.

Wed 15 Jan 10:36 | Mac | There is a low-tech version of Doom that can be played with a pencil and paper. It's a cross between Battleship and Trumps.

Thu 16 Jan 06:41 | Philip Chalmers | It's not surprising. Nobody wants to carry 6 devices if one can do all that's required. Ideally we'd all like a watch which can also handle phone calls, web browsing, email, office applications, personal finance, games, archiving of all data to a secure repository, etc. - and recharge itself from sunlight and / or body heat plus an external charging option for use in winter. The main constraint is the IU - especially keyboard and display size. Voice recognition may eventually take care of the keyboard requirement. Some day we may even have inflatable / deflatable screens or even holographically projected screens (may need you to wear a 'watch' on both wrists). A joke? Maybe not - we all have enough computer power on our desks to have run the world in 1960.

UK's top firms need to improve their websites | Wed 15 Jan

The report found that an alarming number of corporate websites in the UK are so badly designed that investors and the media are unable to locate the information they need. Nearly a half of all sites still do not identify a section for the media on their Home Pages, while a third do not give their share price. (Comments: Thanks Daniel Szuc.)

Wed 15 Jan 23:12 | Eric Scheid | results are disputed. sensibly though -- now is the time for a discussion of the relative merits of heuristic evaluation vs usability testing. Note that the former could well be becoming more popular due to some wag flogging reports of checklists.

Wed 15 Jan 23:19 | John S. Rhodes | Eric's link is broken. USE THIS LINK.

WebWord Comment | Mon 13 Jan

I understand Keiths decision but this is sad.

Tue 14 Jan 12:38 | Frank Lynch | What are Keith's reasons, beyond that they had slowed to a trickle anyway? Dare I suppose? Web content takes time to post, and the web offers few rewards? Little new information coming out on usability, and finding new information take time?

Tue 14 Jan 12:50 | MadMan | This isn't that new. As of early 2002 (I think), Keith had stopped accepting new links for inclusion. I know because I tried to submit one and got a message saying 'I ain't updating no more.' (or something close)

Tue 14 Jan 16:40 | Joshua Kaufman | If Keith won't don't it, surely someone in this great community is willing to take on the job of updating Usable Web?

Wed 15 Jan 00:10 | Ron Zeno | Keith stopped accepting new links back when he started at a new job.

Wed 15 Jan 04:26 | daniel szuc | Thank you to Keith for maintaining this site. When I was working in the *usablity team* at www.telstra.com - Australia back in 1997 the site was one of the few offering this type of information. I visited frequently and passed onto team mates :)

Wed 15 Jan 07:55 | Mac | Who would want to be a human spam filter? People are always more interested in the most recent articles and discussions. Weblogs are always 'of the moment', where the old items are relegated to the archive after a few days. Companies are more interested in promoting their latest work, rather than re-visiting their previous thoughts and efforts. One of the things I dislike about the HCI/Usability field it it's attitude towards the people who put an enormous amount of effort into working on the un-sexy side of the group. Yes Google is great, and Amazon are wonderful, but the way that people like Gary Perlman are treated is a disgrace.

Wed 15 Jan 10:50 | Mac | Here's one person who has shown some appreciation. Snapshot of a Usability Warrior - Feb 1999

WebWord Comment | Mon 13 Jan

Using Google to determine the Top 25 UX Position Titles & Job Roles.

Wed 15 Jan 05:39 | daniel szuc | Interesting to note that word 'usability' is only seen in 2 of the titles. Usability has a brand profile and perception problem. Where are the 'VP of Worldwide Usability Sales' when you need them?

Semantic obsolescence | Mon 13 Jan

(Dive into Mark) I know, I know, XHTML 2.0 isn’t meant to be backwardly compatible. But damn it, I’ve done everything the W3C has ever recommended. I migrated to CSS because they told me it would work better with the browsers and handheld devices of the future, then the browsers and handheld devices of the future came out and my site looked like shit.

Tue 14 Jan 04:22 | Matt Round | XHTML 2 both simplifies markup and improves its structure, but as a result is intentionally a clean slate approach. With the exception of the CITE tag (which doesn't seem to have an equivalent), Mark's rich XHTML 1.1 markup should happily last years, and even then he'll be able to convert it to XHTML 2/3/4 relatively painlessly (unlike those churning out invalid, XML-incompatible content, who'll find tidying up their archives to be a painful process). He's just so keen to be at the cutting-edge he's frustrated that his method of markup will ultimately be discontinued, even though that's a long, long way off.

Tue 14 Jan 12:51 | MadMan | They're takin' away Heading tags, lad!

Tue 14 Jan 13:05 | Chris | While the passion displayed for web standards is commendable, the post seems a touch over dramatic. As I understand it, the omission of from the Working Draft (not recommendation) of XHTML 2 is an oversight, taking away one of Mark’s main points of contention. Any attempts at adherence to standards that are not yet implemented in mainstream browsers (unlike XHTML 1.0, which is implemented by virtue of being almost identical to long-established HTML 4) are bound to be frustrated. Indeed, following Mark’s link to “they told me to use the latest standards available” reveals that particular instruction is to “Use W3C technologies when they are available and appropriate for a task and use the latest versions when supported.” Currently the latest versions simply aren't supported yet.

Tue 14 Jan 13:13 | glasshaus Bruce | zeldman has a rumination on it, too. www.zeldman.com

Tue 14 Jan 17:32 | dean | i just had the 'but they're takining X away' discussion with a workmate. if you consider it all new, they're not taking anything away - that's how i look at it. i think zeldman is right, they should rename it to GML 1 (Guru Markup Language version 1) to avoid confision.

Wed 15 Jan 02:31 | Chi Lambda | I actually think it's commendable that the W3C is keeping the same name, XHTML, instead of issuing a new one. How many *ML languages do we need? :-)

How Warchalking Died | Fri 10 Jan

(WebWord) The purpose of this article is to explain how Warchalking has become obsolete. It is being replaced by Wi-Fi Zones that are being fueled by home networks, corporate networks, and even payphones. The internet will be all around you in all places but you wont ever need to care about Warchalking. Lets bury the idea and move along.

Mon 13 Jan 02:38 | Adam Greenfield | Warchalking failed because it was a 'grassroots' effort of 'amateurs' that would 'annoy the establishment'?? Excuse me, but isn't that a reasonably good description of the (rather successful) open-source software movement? Sorry, John, I don't buy it.

Mon 13 Jan 08:18 | John S. Rhodes | But Adam, in the next sentence I said: 'Furthermore, virtually any of the items above could be turned around. Indeed, the potential success of Warchalking might be the result of these things.'

Wed 15 Jan 00:16 | Karnak the Great | Eric, I'd rather these geek vandals not spread their graffiti at all in public spaces. I didn't shoot my mouth off, but thanks for the complimentary insult. I feel right at home now.

Wed 15 Jan 00:16 | Karnak the Great | Eric, I'd rather these geek vandals not spread their graffiti at all in public spaces. I didn't shoot my mouth off, but thanks for the complimentary insult. I feel right at home now.

Cross-Browser Variable Opacity with PNG: A Real Solution | Mon 13 Jan

(A List Apart) Sadly, flaky browser support has made PNG impractical for almost everything—but now, with a few simple workarounds, we can finally put one of its most compelling features to use.

Tue 14 Jan 03:53 | Matt Round | Don't use the clunky method in the article, see the discussion for mentions of better scripts

Usability Testing: Myths, Misconceptions and Misuses | Tue 07 Jan

In this article, I identify and try to straighten out some common misconceptions about usability testing. (Comments: Via Ron Zeno.)

Mon 13 Jan 22:17 | Lydia | I agree with the statement Daniel quoted - testing points out problems, but won't give answers. Even if you question people directly, they can't tell you what to do, or (often) what they'd like to see instead. It just identifies a snag spot. Another great article by RZ! (OK, end of fan club review.) It is a good article to share for information and/or further discussion, especially with team members who aren't familiar with user centered design, usability testing, and the difference between the two.

Mon 13 Jan 22:19 | Lydia | Whoops, sorry, the article is via Ron Z. Still a great article, of course!

Book Review: The Elements of User Experience | Wed 08 Jan

(WebWord) I wish that this book and the diagram upon which it is based were available when I first attempted the design of user experiences. It could have saved me from false starts, sub-optimal choices, and other hard-won lessons, and would have made it much easier for me to communicate my ideas to my fellow team members and to the managers for whom I worked. (Comments: Guest article written by Dick Miller.)

Mon 13 Jan 22:04 | Lydia | To take an analogy from the movie biz, the world needs more Leonard Maltins. Leonard Maltin generally likes everything he reviews. Even if he doesn't like it, he usually has something nice to say. I think I have heard/read one review that really didn't have something nice to say, but it at least said the bad stuff in a nice way. Obviously, some people have called him a wimp and a kiss-ass, but I like his style. Aside from being a class act who doesn't cruelly run down someone who might have put his sweat and blood into the effort, I like that he still seems to find wonder in movie making. I'd rather read his reviews than the words of a critic who drips bile and bitterness if the film did not meet his personal standards or have enough hot chicks. When I need to narrow down a choice, I'll read a few reviews: the good, the bad, and the ugly, as they say. I take away what I want to from each review and make my decision whether to look at the book (or movie). While Mr. Miller's enthusiasm is large, it doesn't make for a bad review in my book.

Evaluating 25 E-Commerce Search Engines | Sun 12 Jan

(37signals) In this detailed report, 37signals analyzes, reviews, and rates the search engines and search results at 25 popular e-commerce sites. (Comments: $99.)

Mon 13 Jan 15:08 | Mac | Just send this mail to 37signals: ----------------------------- Hi, I have just bought your report and am just starting to read it. I have a couple of questions, and a comment on the web site. Questions: Why haven't you given the name(s) of the author(s) of the report? What is your return policy? Comment: On the training and research page on your site, you spotlight this e-commerce search report, but the 'learn more' link underneath goes to the 'Site's that Don't Click' report instead. I am intending to write a comparative review of your report with ones by nngroup and uie. I will let you know when it's published. Cheers Chris McEvoy Bristol UK ------------------------------------

Mon 13 Jan 15:52 | John S. Rhodes | I definitely look forward to the report, Mac!

Mon 13 Jan 16:10 | JF | Thanks for pointing out the bad link, Chris. It's been fixed.

WebWord Comment | Mon 06 Jan

In the left hand navigation of the WebWord home page there is an area where you can submit news. Do you think it should read Who to credit? or Whom to credit? and why do you feel that way? Throw some grammar rules at me!

Mon 13 Jan 14:41 | Mac | Before: After: Moved to the bottom so it can take up more width. If you have never scrolled to the bottom of the page then you don't deserve to submit news. Forget who or whom, the point is that someone has taken the time to tell us all about an interesting item. It needs to be clear that this is the name of the person submitting the item, not the author of the original item. I have been careful to use the WebWord Hulk Green as I don't want to create an ugly interface.

WebWord Comment | Mon 06 Jan

The painful server migration is now complete. We did lose some data because the two servers were doing different work for a few days. I apologize for this loss and I will try to get it back. However, dont hold your breath. For what it is worth, I have several good items to post. Ill take care of that later today. Thanks for being patient!

Mon 13 Jan 09:41 | Mac | John, will the publically available usage stats be returning ?

Prognostication Digitalis | Wed 08 Jan

(Boxes and Arrows) What will this year hold for the profession known as “what we do” and its children, information architecture, usability, interaction design, interface design, and graphic design? What will it hold for our favored media, the digital world? Boxes and Arrows asked our authors to hazard a guess. Heres what they came up with.

Mon 13 Jan 03:19 | daniel szuc | Another thought is how usability can impact the total customer environment beyind web sites. One of our current clients is a franchise in Asia who are looking at ways to improve their 'total customer / brand experience' from their shop fronts, operations, web site, products (menus etc) etc Some of the usability methodologies can extend beyond 'interfaces' and into the physical (knowing that usability is already applied to physical products) Basic meaning here is getting people to think that usability is beyond web interfaces and extends to other interesting areas :)