Dang I'm tired of reading that statement. Why would anyone with a lick of sense say anything so generalized and unlikely to be true as "users don't read"?
because the statement "people read sometimes, and don't other times." just isn't sexy?
What I've seen in the slew of user tests I've been involved in is that people do read content, though they find it tiring and have a tendency to not complete a story/article. Jakob Nielsen's 1997 alertbox on how people read on the web is still on the money.
People do read instructions when they don't know what to do. However, if they think they understand the interface, they do *not* read the instructions, which can cause serious problems if they are wrong. Most people do not want to RTFM.
They read when they have someting at stake, like when shopping or registering for a service. The fine print suddenly makes for compelling reading.
And of course, the statement "people don't read" is mostly false because there are no "people" as there is no all encompassing "user." Instead there are many individual people. Some people read, some don't, some vary wildly in their reading habits.
So the most important thing to think about is "who are my people?"
Then you can ask the key question: not "do they read?", but rather, "how do they read?"
From: gleanings
To: pilgrims
Subject: Gleanings: post-turkey stress syndrome
OPENING THANG
I'm moving kinda slow today, due to excessive turkey abuse and discovering calvados, so enjoy your news free of any extraneous commentary.
NEWS
Business 2.0: Hold the Bells and Whistles.
There are plenty of good ways for Web designers to use broadband. But cramming
flashy videos and whizzy animations down a user's DSL line isn't one of them.
"One of the things we know about Web users from day one is they tend to be
very goal focused," says Forrester Research analyst Randy Souza.
http://www.business2.com/content/magazine/breakthrough/2000/11/20/22110
more news at www.tomalak.org
THE BATTLE OVER SPAM: Last week the Mail Abuse Prevention System
attempted to place e-mail marketer 24/7 Exactis on its Realtime
Blackhole List, which tracks alleged spammers. MAPS claims that 24/7
Exactis didn't uphold a previously negotiated agreement preventing its
clients from sending unsolicited e-mail messages over its network.
24/7 Exactis countered MAPS' attempt by filing suit. The company says
it does not deliver spam and that MAPS based its decision on fewer
than a dozen complaints out of more than 4 billion e-mail messages
sent this year. It won a temporary restraining order from a Colorado
court that prevented MAPS from adding its name to the list, which many
ISPs use as a guideline when making decisions on which e-mail messages
to block from their systems.
http://www.dmnews.com/articles/2000-11-20/11694.html
WEB ADVERTISERS, TAKE NOTE: This week's Nielsen NetRatings Holiday
E-Commerce Index study found a 12 percent increase in traffic to
online retailers and helped shake off fears that this holiday season
may be a bust for the Internet. After last week's report found no
growth in traffic over holiday season 1999, toys and games sites
enjoyed a 47 percent bump while apparel sites racked up a 43 percent
gain. While the jury is still out on the predicted $11.6 billion in
holiday sales, at least the numbers seem to be heading in the right
direction.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-3745081.html?tag=st.ne.1007.thed.ni
more news at www.thestandard.com