Pat’s Point of View

One thing that’s become apparent to me over the years is the power which web developers can have. It’s true that web managers, intranet managers and other such positions have authority but they often turn to ‘techies’ for answers. Yet many web developers feel like they are stuck at the end of the process, between and rock and a hard place. Without going into project management techniques or discussions on processes, there are ways in which they can wield some power.

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This is going to sound really wanky but I’ve found that listening to meditation music whilst working is very effective, particularly if you have a stressful client or are working to a deadline.

A couple of weeks ago, Jenn took me away for the weekend (for my birthday) and also threw in a full Swedish massage. Whilst laying there on the creaky table, getting the ol’ chop-suey from some buff guy, I started to realise the music they play works really well. We’re talking rain, rainforests, rivers, wind, waves, birds, more rain, pan flutes and celtic harps. And thunder is also quite common, which I kinda like, but I know some people wouldn’t find it relaxing at all (yes Jenn I mean you).

So I’ve acquired a selection of soundtracks. If you actually listen to it, it’s pretty boring, and you can really notice where they have played with it by adding sound effects etc. But if you just have it playing in the background while you work it’s quite nice. Very relaxing. Give it a try.

Far be it from me to criticise a fellow usability person, but there’s something rather annoying about Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox emails: the subject line and content don’t match.

The subject line for the email relates to the latest Alertbox article, such as “Show Numbers as Numerals When Writing for Online Readers”. At the top of the email content there is a very short summary of the article and then a link to the full version on the website. All good, no complaints, well done.

The problem is that there’s much more in the email than just that. A few ads for conferences, books etc but then there’s some actual content. In the case of the latest Alertbox email we find “Is the end near for text-box ads?” and “Registration costs business”. These mini-articles are shown in full in the email and are generally a good read. I find that I end up reading those rather than clicking the link to the ‘main’ article. I’m sure there is a distinction between these two types of content from the authors point of view (I suspect the shorter bits are more like blog posts whereas the main articles are fully explored ideas) but from a user perspective, the content I read is not what the subject line promises. Add to this the tendency to skip over the very top of an email since that’s normally where ads sit or links for mailing list controls and/or metadata (who, when, where, unsubscribe links etc). Text banner blindness!

So would most people prefer to read inline content in an email or click through to a website? Somewhat ironically, Nielsen has written quite a bit about the area of email usability, but nothing specifically relating to inline vs linked. Scannability is important, which would favour summaries and links. And I suppose if there are graphs, charts or other diagrams in the article then a text email is not going to be very effective yet a page on the website will be. But I tend to stay within the application I’m using, especially if there are hundreds of emails awaiting my attention. I don’t want to have to click through to read the article, which means waiting for the browser to open etc.

Maybe it’s just me…

Today is my birthday, but it’s been a less than happy day. This morning I attended the funeral for Clifford D’Souza, the father of my best friend.

I didn’t know Keith’s dad very well, I spoke to him only a few times over the years. But I know what kind of a man he was, because of the son he raised. Keith is an honest, generous, loyal and trustworthy friend, a real decent guy. I believe he got those qualities from his upbringing…he certainly didn’t get them from hanging around with people like me :)

Jenn and I, and some other close friends, went to the funeral to show support for our friend and his family. Our hearts go out to them in this difficult time and I hope they soon move beyond their grief and remember with loving reflection the good life their father and husband led.

I found this sign in my hotel room. It reads:

TAXI WARNING

Please be aware that no matter where you are in Canberra there will be a delay for a taxi during peak periods.

45-60 minute delay is not uncommon.

A much more reliable Limousine Service is available if required.

This is really bad, that people need such a warning. These sort of notices might be found in hotel rooms in other cities, but I’ve certainly never seen one before.

And of course the taxi situation at the airport yesterday was typically bad. But I’ve given up on them altogether now and I just use a limo service. Much easier and not a lot more expensive to be honest. And you get to ride in a nice (ok maybe not-so-nice) Statesman Caprice or LTD. Makes you feel like Aussie Royalty.

See what people are blogging about: Canberra, Canberra Cabs

I’m so proud to have reached Silver Qantas Frequent Flyer status. It may not be much, but I feel like I have achieved something :)

Just one of the perks of business travel, although I wish I was going somewhere more exciting than Canberra or Brisbane. Melbourne and Adelaide are less frequent, and thus a bit more exciting. I haven’t been to go to Perth yet, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Darwin is probably never going to happen, nor is Hobart, but at least I have been to both in the past.

I have just over a year to earn enough points to keep my Silver status, which may not be that easy so I’d better make the most of it. So what does Silver get me? Well I get a silver coloured card, plus:

• more status points each time I fly
• priority check-in
• priority standby
• an extra 10kg luggage on USA trips
• an extra piece of luggage on domestic flights
• preferred seating
• membership baggage tags (!)

Awesome. But best of all I get complimentary Qantas Club invitation, so I can rub shoulders (literally in the case of the Canberra lounge) with other members and get free drinks and nibbles!

ps: I might get a bit of a top-up to my points with two trips to the USA, but that’s not confirmed yet.

See what people are blogging about: frequent flyer, Qantas

After a lengthy delay, I’ve finally got around the redesigning the Elvis Alive website:

www.elvisalive.com

The old version had served for about five years, so it was well overdue for at least a design refresh. More than that, I’ve built the new site around a proper publishing system rather than the hand-built system I was using before.

The gallery section is still underway, but hopefully this will be up soon.