From: Gleanings
To: acolytes
Subject: Gleanigns: Go Do that VooDoo than YooDoo so well

USABILITY MATTERS

How should a page load? What "feels" fast"?

Quality is in the eye of the beholder:
Meeting users' requirements for Internet Quality of Service
http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/A.Bouch/pub.html

Intercultural web usability.
http://usableweb.com/topics/001316-0-0.html

NEWS
When the Web Gets Too Personal... and How to Stop It
http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/story/0,10738,2626811,00.html

Who needs a Napster fix?

Napster Goes on the Offensive
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,38751,00.html

Napster Fires New Salvo in Legal Battle With RIAA (Reuters)
http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/028528.htm

Napster Case Makes Strange Bedfellows
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2627767,00.html

EVENTS

Personalization Summit
http://www.personalization.com/summit/SF_2000/sf_index.html

EYECANDY
Art Center College of Design
http://www.artcenter.edu/

APROPOS OF NOTHING
sending some voodoo your way:
www.pinstruck.com
posted by Christina Wodtke 9/15/2000 9:08:25 AM

From: Gleanings
To: gleanettes
Subject: Gleanigns: It's not easy being gleaned

Sorry, couldn't resist the pun.

USABILITY MATTERS
after six seconds, wave bye bye to your customers
http://www.keynote.com/services/downloads/product_lib.html

I know it's an old study, but it's still quite valid. go to "quicktime" with a stopwatch if you are on a modem. ouch.

and if you are saying, isn't everyone 56k and faster?
http://www.thestandard.com/research/metrics/display/0,2799,12809,00.html

IA MATTERS
Ford-Forlizzi Theories of Experience
http://www.goodgestreet.com/experience/theory.html

Really interesting discussion on UML on CHI-WEB right now,
http://www.acm.org/archives/wa.cgi?A1=ind0009b&L=chi-web#25
it produced this
"Still, UML as it is now, is inadequate for effectively communicating
with non-technical people. But new ideas are rapidly evolving. I've
already experimented with colour modeling, based on the work of Peter
Coad , and found it
promising (see also UIdesign.net
, which I'm sure you're
familiar with). And I think it would also be a good idea to add another
dimension to the model, e.g. an isometric perspective, the way Dynamic
Diagrams uses it."

GENERAL NEWS

from tomalak

Internet Week: Don't Trust Everything You Read, Even On The Internet.
The events that led to this damage involved a string of errors that would be
comical if they weren't so serious. They all had one root cause: the fact that
many people make major decisions based on information they find on the
Internet but don't confirm.
http://www.internetwk.com/columns00/rash091100.htm

Advertising Age: Delta flies toward $1 billion in Web sales.
The campaign from Leo Burnett USA, Chicago, launched last week and includes TV, print and radio. Print tells customers the simpler URL will save them "an extra 0.73 seconds,'' TV features the delta-air.com URL morphing into the new delta.com, while radio asks, "Why oh why wasn't delta.com our Web address all along?''
http://www.adage.com/interactive/articles/20000911/article3.html

Industry Standard: Disney Looks for the Magic.
Bornstein is fond of saying the new site won't try to be all things to all
people and will focus instead on a few key areas. The search engine will still
be in place, but in addition to Web results, consumers will also receive user-
rated sites and related content from any of DIG's dozen or so other
properties...
http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,18328,00.html

Wired News: Eudora Retards Flames.
The newest version of the Qualcomm software features MoodWatch, an automated
emotion monitor that scans the text of both incoming and outgoing email for
the sorts of "aggressive, demeaning, or rude language," that typically appear
in flames -- or abusive electronic communications.
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,38723,00.html
posted by Christina Wodtke 9/13/2000 8:35:19 AM

From: Gleanings
To: glean feelings
Subject: Gleanings: Feeling chatty this morning

USABILITY MATTERS and Christina rambles.

Mark Hurst reviewed Dr. Marten's site
http://www.goodexperience.com/columns/090100drmartens.html
and gave them a pretty harsh review.

I wonder though:
is he wrong, and the Dr. Marten's is hitting squarely their current demographic, just as they do with electric blue or sequined boots (anyone else here old enough to remember when we were 'appropriating" working man boots?)
or
is Doc martens wrong... or rather, limited in thinking of the net as a flavor of television, in which peoples level of entertainment by a commercial equals their positive brand associations and thus sales.

levis has recently come under this same kind of criticism, and I think it's an important question.
what do you think? tell me, and I'll pass it on: gleanings-comments@eleganthack.com

Mark Hurst was recently interviewed by Lou Rosenfeld (heretoafter perpetually referred to as "Lou")
http://argus-acia.com/people/hurst_profile.html
he looks 12.... and takes the Jakob Nielson "wrong headed but loud so people will listen, think and react" approach. But is always a good read.

Another site review http://www.digitalmass.com/columns/ecommerce/0831.html
and all I can say looking at Bose is "this is a best practice?" sheesh.

GENERAL NEWS

Internet Workforce Compensation Study 2000
by Industry Standard Staff
The Standard's first-ever review of compensation, culture and job satisfaction in the Internet workplace.
http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,18387,00.html?nl=dnh

and a bunch more from tomalak, as usual.

Salon: When Big Brother knows you watch "Big Brother".
Q&A with Mike Ramsay, CEO of TiVo. We're looking at interactive ads; we're
putting ads and promotions on the disk as it goes out the door. We've got the
ability to make ads more flexible so that if you're watching an ad and you're
interested, you can hit select and it will take you to an infomercial.
http://salon.com/tech/view/2000/09/11/tivo/index.html

Salon: When Big Brother knows you watch "Big Brother".
Q&A with Mike Ramsay, CEO of TiVo. We're looking at interactive ads; we're
putting ads and promotions on the disk as it goes out the door. We've got the
ability to make ads more flexible so that if you're watching an ad and you're
interested, you can hit select and it will take you to an infomercial.
http://salon.com/tech/view/2000/09/11/tivo/index.html

Boston Globe: Bulb business.
The company's voice mail system touts it cheerily as ''the Web's number one
light bulb superstore.'' But does the Web need a number one light bulb
superstore, any more than it needs a number one paper clip store or a number
one toilet plunger store?
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/255/business/Bulb_business+.shtml

Business Week: Bad Timing for Swatch's Web Watch.
A Swatch spokeswoman now says the Internet Swatch has been put on hold because
of "technical questions." The company isn't elaborating, but judging from a
prototype unveiled earlier this year, the Web watch was so flawed that it may
never be put on the market.
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/sep2000/nf20000911_089.htm

CODE

Add helper rollovers to your links
http://www.siteexperts.com/tips/elements/ts28/page1.asp

APROPOS OF NOTHING

the history of the blog
http://www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_history.html
posted by Christina Wodtke 9/12/2000 8:26:54 AM

From: Gleanings
To: listeners
Subject: Gleanings: folded and unfolding

It's a foggy Monday in San Francisco, so I thought I'd start the day off with some humor

How people forwarded jokes before there was email.
http://www.modernhumorist.com/mh/0009/history/index.cfm

and of course, we will all get this t-shirt
http://www.modernhumorist.com/mh/0004/propaganda/mp3.cfm

USABILITY MATTERS

it's an old song, but as dsl, cable modems and the like get more attention, we need to remember that most of America isn't there yet.

InfoWorld: The speed of business: If your pages are slow, your customers will
go.
I understand the difference between Web-and host-based systems, but the
difference between 2 and 8 seconds is far too much. Our expectations appear to be heading in the wrong direction. I'm also certain we didn't become more
patient over the years.
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/op/xml/00/09/11/000911opsavvy.xml

Useit.Com: From March 1, 1997; The Need for Speed
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9703a.html

IA MATTERS

I know it may sound odd, but I believe IA's should try folding origami from diagrams. the act of using a diagram to create a 3d object is both satisfying, relaxing and makes you consider what it takes to write halfway decent instructions. I'm sure there are other hobbies that would produce the same set of feelings and skills (model airplanes? knitting) but origami is my choice.

Of particular interest here is the "Phone Folding" --text only instructions.

My favorite of the origami sites
http://www.origami.vancouver.bc.ca/

The page of diagrams
http://www.origami.vancouver.bc.ca/Files/files.html

GENERAL NEWS

eCompany: A New Way to Keep Score on the Web.
At IRI, they gave 50,000 pen scanners to a panel of consumers to keep track of all their purchases -- an expensive proposition. Now, on the Web, they've
attracted 1.3 million surfers who willingly allow ComScore to stalk them
online and record every click.
http://www.ecompany.com/articles/web/1,1653,8301,00.html

the new star wars trailer is a hoax? (and yes, I'm a bit behind on this one. if you want your news pre-masticated, you'll have to live with it)
http://www.digitalcoastweekly.com/issues/dcw08112000.html#Headline2161
http://www.zdnet.com/zdhelp/stories/main/0,5594,2615367,00.html
anyhow, if you wanted to waste your whole day watching fanfilms, check this out
http://theforce.net/theater/allfilms.shtml

Forbes: MongoMusic Fans Include Microsoft.
People like to think their tastes are quirky and unique, and Hinman doesn't
disagree. He just believes he's found a way to predict their music likes and
dislikes--down to the chord, even--using a database of songs and a patent-
pending computer program.
http://www.forbes.com/tool/html/00/sep/0909/feat2.htm

more on music and the napster influence
http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2000/09/mann.htm
posted by Christina Wodtke 9/11/2000 10:24:35 AM

From: Gleanings
To: Sleep is for the Smart
Subject: Gleanings: refreshed and refreshing

Hey kids...

after a grueling working week I'm back. I'll never use the phrase "sleep is for the weak" again... sleep good.

Idle information....3% of my visitors have no JavaScript. They either turn it off or don't have JavaScript enabled browser. Wonder which it is.

I also have a higher than industry standard number of Mac and Netscape users
I get 28% Netscape and 20% Mac... compared to the web-wide numbers of 13.5% for Netscape and 3.5% Mac. Just goes to show you, nothing is more valuable than designing for *your* users. Anyone have an old Mac to donate so I can browser test?

(BTW I use http://www.TheCounter.com/ for my stats rather than digging through my logs)

okay, enough about me.. here are your URL's.....

USABILITY MATTERS

do not forget the alt tags!!!!!!! or it may cost you.
http://www.computerweekly.co.uk/cwarchive/news/20000907/cwcontainer.asp?name=C8.html&ct=search

and then test
http://www.cast.org/bobby/

Still more reasons to remember alt tags, including being found by search engines.
http://www.acm.org/archives/wa.cgi?A2=ind0009a&L=chi-web&F=&S=&P=6862

evil bureaucracies?

Useit.Com: Regulatory Usability.
Regulatory requirements often reduce the usability of Web content and end up
damaging the exact goals they were trying to promote. Regulatory agencies
usually base their rules and regulations on design criteria that are
appropriate for paper-based documents but which don't work in the online
medium.
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20000903.html

more Jakob
CIO WebBusiness: From February 1, 1999; Jakob Nielsen on Dinosaurs
http://www.cio.com/archive/webbusiness/020199_backtalk.html

DESIGN MATTERS

Death of the Websafe Color Palette?
http://go.hotwired.com/webmonkey/00/37/index2a.html/eg20000907

good old webmonkey discoverers there are really only 22 websafe colors. hope you like green.

OTHER MATTERS

interview with author of cluetrain manifesto
http://www.newmedia.com/default.asp?articleID=2134

NEWS

Business Week: So Who Wants to Surf the Tube Anyway?
Q&A with Lutz Erbring, professor at the Free University of Berlin. The
technology is there to combine the devices. But nothing that we've [seen]
suggests that people want to mix those activities. When they're watching TV,
they want to relax. They don't want to do any research.
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/sep2000/nf2000097_300.htm

NY Times: Trademarks Winning Domain Fights.
At the heart of Icann's domain name arbitration system is the Uniform Dispute
Resolution Policy, a set of rules that provide the litmus tests for
determining if a domain name holder is acting in bad faith or is out to hijack
a trademarked name.
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/09/biztech/articles/04neco.html

Industry Standard: Yahoo "Ads" It Up.
Anheuser Busch might know that millions of dollars spent on ads that feature
talking frogs will lead to hundreds of millions in beer sales. But the
intuitive logic of advertising seems like a stretch to Wall Street, especially
with investors leery of Internet stocks.
http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,18188,00.html

APROPOS OF NOTHING

America's best Christian
http://www.bettybowers.com/

Splendid Maya Palace Is Found Hidden in Jungle
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/08/science/08MAYA.html

Dieting Lowers IQ of British Girls
One in four schoolgirls are damaging their IQs by dieting and depriving themselves of iron. British researchers found a highly significant difference in IQ between schoolgirls with the lowest levels of iron in their blood and those girls with adequate iron levels.
http://list.brain.com/cgi-bin5/flo?y=hB4B0Xdgq0nz0DJnQ
posted by Christina Wodtke 9/10/2000 9:39:49 AM

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