Monday, December 23, 2002

Usability Matters Redux I'm starting a column for an in-house magazine. The audience consists primarily ofapplication developers, especially Web app devs. As the only in-house editor/writer type, I get to edit, design, solicit for articles, and write for the the magazine.
So I thought, "Hey--a captive audience! I can wax philosophic about usability, user-centered design, and human-computer interaction." Gee...nice to have the forum.
Initially I'm planning on dealing with these topics:
  • Definition of terms such as HCI, usability, information architecture
  • How to differentiate between user and customer
  • Why functionality testing and usability testing differ
Whadya think?

Tuesday, December 10, 2002

Whither OZ How stupid can people be? Apparently, pretty stupid. Implications: perhaps we should arrest China because their Internet laws are a violation of the First Amendment.

Anne Galloway corrected my example that I used...but I still maintain that my analogy is appropriate. That is, I remember in the 80s when a county in Texas sued Adam and Eve, Inc., for violating the community standards in Texas. A couple had ordered some soft-core porn from Adam & Eve, received the merchandise, and were then arrested....I'm troubled by this.

Always Apologizing Seems like I'm always saying "I'm sorry" in listservs, blogs, and in person. I'm reminded of John Wayne in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon saying, "Never apologize, Lieutenant, it's a sign of weakness." Perhaps so...but in the exchange on Peter's blog, I just wanted to highlight the post hoc fallacy that seems so rampant these days. Didn't mean to be politically incorrect...then again, wait a minute--perhaps I did...
:)

Monday, December 02, 2002

Tomorrow Never Comes
I'm mad at Amazon.com for not letting me know they couldn't deliver a present. I sent a housewarming present to Peter more than a week ago. But because he'd moved he hadn't updated his Amazon shipping address. So nothing's gotten from SF across the Bay to Oakland.
What galls me is that the systems should talk to each other somehow. You put a USPS change-of-address form into action, other folks should digitally pick up on it...at least in the area of those who ship stuff.
Grrrr.....