Comments for Dana's user experience blog http://danamckay.wordpress.com because life can be simpler Tue, 13 May 2008 21:55:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU Comment on The ‘Google effect’: A trend toward mediocrity, or away from it? by anonymous http://danamckay.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/the-google-effect-a-trend-toward-mediocrity-or-away-from-it/#comment-291 anonymous Mon, 12 May 2008 22:01:56 +0000 http://danamckay.wordpress.com/?p=59#comment-291 Dana, Very well said. I just graduated from a research heavy field (International Relations) and now am employed as an university web designer. It is quite scary how many teachers will preach against Google and Wikipedia but have no idea how to actually find the electronic information they are asking students to seek. University web search applications are usually horrible, and Google is a much better alternative. I think irrational fear and bureaucracy are holding many schools back. Dana,

Very well said. I just graduated from a research heavy field (International Relations) and now am employed as an university web designer. It is quite scary how many teachers will preach against Google and Wikipedia but have no idea how to actually find the electronic information they are asking students to seek. University web search applications are usually horrible, and Google is a much better alternative. I think irrational fear and bureaucracy are holding many schools back.

]]> Comment on A good (and surprising) user experience: Laundering the shuffle by danamckay http://danamckay.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/a-good-and-surprising-user-experience-laundering-the-shuffle/#comment-290 danamckay Mon, 12 May 2008 03:32:43 +0000 http://danamckay.wordpress.com/?p=61#comment-290 Sorry Tony, your post got caught in my spam queue, which was apparently a little aggressive. One of those examples I listed is of a nano that lived, but I have to guess you're right -- the shuffle is smaller (and also has only the one connector, which at the time of laundering had my headphones in it). Sorry Tony, your post got caught in my spam queue, which was apparently a little aggressive. One of those examples I listed is of a nano that lived, but I have to guess you’re right — the shuffle is smaller (and also has only the one connector, which at the time of laundering had my headphones in it).

]]> Comment on Add the features your users want, not the features you want them to have by Matt http://danamckay.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/add-the-features-your-users-want-not-the-features-you-want-them-to-have/#comment-289 Matt Thu, 08 May 2008 00:47:13 +0000 http://danamckay.wordpress.com/?p=60#comment-289 New blog posts now show up as tips. New blog posts now show up as tips.

]]> Comment on A good (and surprising) user experience: Laundering the shuffle by tony http://danamckay.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/a-good-and-surprising-user-experience-laundering-the-shuffle/#comment-288 tony Tue, 06 May 2008 04:30:26 +0000 http://danamckay.wordpress.com/?p=61#comment-288 I wonder if the Shuffle's size gives it added strength over say a Nano or Video iPod? Still, iPods in general seem to be pretty robust except for complaints about scratches. The first day I got my Nano - and before I'd bought a case for it - I dropped it on a concrete path, but it kept playing and remarkably had no scratches. Here's a <a href="http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/nano.ars/3" rel="nofollow">stress test</a> for the Nano that I read before I bought mine. I wonder if the Shuffle’s size gives it added strength over say a Nano or Video iPod? Still, iPods in general seem to be pretty robust except for complaints about scratches.

The first day I got my Nano - and before I’d bought a case for it - I dropped it on a concrete path, but it kept playing and remarkably had no scratches. Here’s a stress test for the Nano that I read before I bought mine.

]]> Comment on The ‘Google effect’: A trend toward mediocrity, or away from it? by Sara Jervis http://danamckay.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/the-google-effect-a-trend-toward-mediocrity-or-away-from-it/#comment-286 Sara Jervis Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:04:04 +0000 http://danamckay.wordpress.com/?p=59#comment-286 The academic determines the acceptability of a reference. Scholars find information the way they wish or they can. Excellent interfaces will assist the scholarly. But the excellence will still be wasted on the lazy, slapdash and “last minute” essay/ report/thesis writer. Each time I reflect on academics ruing the standards of the students, I think that they are the ones who mark the students’ work. Research is essential for senior students and I am sure the references to the research are still mandatory for students’ submissions for marks. Is it the academics who are dropping the standards? The academic determines the acceptability of a reference. Scholars find information the way they wish or they can. Excellent interfaces will assist the scholarly. But the excellence will still be wasted on the lazy, slapdash and “last minute” essay/ report/thesis writer.

Each time I reflect on academics ruing the standards of the students, I think that they are the ones who mark the students’ work. Research is essential for senior students and I am sure the references to the research are still mandatory for students’ submissions for marks.

Is it the academics who are dropping the standards?

]]> Comment on Add the features your users want, not the features you want them to have by Gabriel... http://danamckay.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/add-the-features-your-users-want-not-the-features-you-want-them-to-have/#comment-285 Gabriel... Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:53:44 +0000 http://danamckay.wordpress.com/?p=60#comment-285 It's a great idea... It’s a great idea…

]]> Comment on Add the features your users want, not the features you want them to have by Matt http://danamckay.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/add-the-features-your-users-want-not-the-features-you-want-them-to-have/#comment-284 Matt Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:08:25 +0000 http://danamckay.wordpress.com/?p=60#comment-284 We're going to try to use our tips system to get the word out about new features a little better. We'll see how it goes. We’re going to try to use our tips system to get the word out about new features a little better. We’ll see how it goes.

]]> Comment on Add the features your users want, not the features you want them to have by Gabriel... http://danamckay.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/add-the-features-your-users-want-not-the-features-you-want-them-to-have/#comment-283 Gabriel... Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:17:01 +0000 http://danamckay.wordpress.com/?p=60#comment-283 I totally agree. I think a lot of it has to do with their lack of a communications plan, and the youth of the company. WordPress is great on the individual level... the Forum works well, their FAQ's are comprehensive, and their support is excellent. Anytime I've had a problem which couldn't be fixed via an FAQ or in the Forum their support people have responded within the hour. But when they roll out features they do it in a secluded spot of WP, in an area where only a few people ever look. Then the Forum's fill up with confused and panicked people... or people just try to deal with whatever they've been given. The thing is, it isn't new. This is what always happens, take their roll-out of the new dashboard. Personally, I love it... but it took everyone by surprise, and the only notice of what happened was a link on the WP splash page. Their reaction to what's being written about this new feature will be very interesting... I totally agree. I think a lot of it has to do with their lack of a communications plan, and the youth of the company. WordPress is great on the individual level… the Forum works well, their FAQ’s are comprehensive, and their support is excellent. Anytime I’ve had a problem which couldn’t be fixed via an FAQ or in the Forum their support people have responded within the hour. But when they roll out features they do it in a secluded spot of WP, in an area where only a few people ever look. Then the Forum’s fill up with confused and panicked people… or people just try to deal with whatever they’ve been given.

The thing is, it isn’t new. This is what always happens, take their roll-out of the new dashboard. Personally, I love it… but it took everyone by surprise, and the only notice of what happened was a link on the WP splash page. Their reaction to what’s being written about this new feature will be very interesting…

]]> Comment on The ‘Google effect’: A trend toward mediocrity, or away from it? by tony http://danamckay.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/the-google-effect-a-trend-toward-mediocrity-or-away-from-it/#comment-282 tony Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:58:35 +0000 http://danamckay.wordpress.com/?p=59#comment-282 hey Dana, I agree about improving search interfaces, and also bringing all the content together so it can be searched in one place, but I think the ability of people to evaluate what they find will still be crucial. Search interfaces can help with this and I think that's starting to happen in a couple of examples. I remember a few years back we noticed a huge number of hits on an obscure US newspaper we have in one of our big databases. Turns out if you searched for [dairy industry] some articles in that newspaper came up first. We had a big marketing assignment on at that time on the dairy industry, although we suspect the assignment had nothing to do with Arkansas! People were just taking the results that came up first. And this was an academic database, not Google. So, as well as easier search interfaces, we also need ways for the interfaces to organise and present results so that the searchers can make an informed choice about what to use, and also provide easy ways to focus their results to a more manageable set. Eg, I think facets can be great for this, and interfaces that distinguish between say books, websites and journal articles or which allow you to just get scholarly/peer-reviewed articles if that's what you want. hey Dana, I agree about improving search interfaces, and also bringing all the content together so it can be searched in one place, but I think the ability of people to evaluate what they find will still be crucial. Search interfaces can help with this and I think that’s starting to happen in a couple of examples.

I remember a few years back we noticed a huge number of hits on an obscure US newspaper we have in one of our big databases. Turns out if you searched for [dairy industry] some articles in that newspaper came up first. We had a big marketing assignment on at that time on the dairy industry, although we suspect the assignment had nothing to do with Arkansas! People were just taking the results that came up first. And this was an academic database, not Google.

So, as well as easier search interfaces, we also need ways for the interfaces to organise and present results so that the searchers can make an informed choice about what to use, and also provide easy ways to focus their results to a more manageable set. Eg, I think facets can be great for this, and interfaces that distinguish between say books, websites and journal articles or which allow you to just get scholarly/peer-reviewed articles if that’s what you want.

]]> Comment on Ticketek vouchers: Buying show tickets should be fun by danamckay http://danamckay.wordpress.com/2008/04/01/ticketek-vouchers-going-to-a-show-is-supposed-to-be-fun/#comment-267 danamckay Thu, 10 Apr 2008 07:10:31 +0000 http://danamckay.wordpress.com/?p=55#comment-267 Tony, I've emailed my complaint to Ticketek...we shall see what they have to say, if anything. Tony, I’ve emailed my complaint to Ticketek…we shall see what they have to say, if anything.

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