Why Microsoft loses in the UI stakes
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I decided to give the "Suggested Sites" option in IE a try today. A dropdown menu with "Suggested Sites" seemed obvious enough so I tried it. "To use Suggested sites turn on Web Slices" OK. Odd and seemingly unrelated. As a developer, though, I can imagine that someone worked out how to add the "Suggested Sites" functionality as a trivial addition once WebSlices were added, then marketing decided to push "Suggested Sites" more the Webslices, but then Legal got in the way and insisted webslices be turned on explicitely by the user, instead of automatically. So I turn them on and try again "Turn on Suggested Sites" OK, getting a little lame, but I bet it was legal again. "Turning it on automatically is a breach of privacy blah blah". So I click the "turn it on" button. "Do you want to discover websites you might like based on websites you've visited?" Didn't I just ask for it to be turned on? OK, fine. *click*. I then try the dropdown again "See Suggested sites" You are kidding me. I've turned on two features. I've tried a third time to view, and to view suggested sites I have to click through a further time? To be fair, the next time I tried it the sites came up immediately, but what I can't help thinking is that if Apple had this then I would click on the "See suggested sites" menu item and there, in a dropdown, would be a list of suggested sites.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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I decided to give the "Suggested Sites" option in IE a try today. A dropdown menu with "Suggested Sites" seemed obvious enough so I tried it. "To use Suggested sites turn on Web Slices" OK. Odd and seemingly unrelated. As a developer, though, I can imagine that someone worked out how to add the "Suggested Sites" functionality as a trivial addition once WebSlices were added, then marketing decided to push "Suggested Sites" more the Webslices, but then Legal got in the way and insisted webslices be turned on explicitely by the user, instead of automatically. So I turn them on and try again "Turn on Suggested Sites" OK, getting a little lame, but I bet it was legal again. "Turning it on automatically is a breach of privacy blah blah". So I click the "turn it on" button. "Do you want to discover websites you might like based on websites you've visited?" Didn't I just ask for it to be turned on? OK, fine. *click*. I then try the dropdown again "See Suggested sites" You are kidding me. I've turned on two features. I've tried a third time to view, and to view suggested sites I have to click through a further time? To be fair, the next time I tried it the sites came up immediately, but what I can't help thinking is that if Apple had this then I would click on the "See suggested sites" menu item and there, in a dropdown, would be a list of suggested sites.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
Chris Maunder wrote:
but what I can't help thinking is that if Apple had this then I would click on the "See suggested sites" menu item and there, in a dropdown, would be a list of suggested sites.
Absolutely. Welcome, brother.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
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Chris Maunder wrote:
but what I can't help thinking is that if Apple had this then I would click on the "See suggested sites" menu item and there, in a dropdown, would be a list of suggested sites.
Absolutely. Welcome, brother.
Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.
Do you have a spare bunny he can hug for a while? :)
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting Services -
I decided to give the "Suggested Sites" option in IE a try today. A dropdown menu with "Suggested Sites" seemed obvious enough so I tried it. "To use Suggested sites turn on Web Slices" OK. Odd and seemingly unrelated. As a developer, though, I can imagine that someone worked out how to add the "Suggested Sites" functionality as a trivial addition once WebSlices were added, then marketing decided to push "Suggested Sites" more the Webslices, but then Legal got in the way and insisted webslices be turned on explicitely by the user, instead of automatically. So I turn them on and try again "Turn on Suggested Sites" OK, getting a little lame, but I bet it was legal again. "Turning it on automatically is a breach of privacy blah blah". So I click the "turn it on" button. "Do you want to discover websites you might like based on websites you've visited?" Didn't I just ask for it to be turned on? OK, fine. *click*. I then try the dropdown again "See Suggested sites" You are kidding me. I've turned on two features. I've tried a third time to view, and to view suggested sites I have to click through a further time? To be fair, the next time I tried it the sites came up immediately, but what I can't help thinking is that if Apple had this then I would click on the "See suggested sites" menu item and there, in a dropdown, would be a list of suggested sites.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
Microsoft has become so paranoid and run by lawyers, after all the law-suits, that they wouldn't even dare to ask you the time of day any more. It will happen to Apple soon. And Google. ( Still missing that mad scientist emoticon)
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Do you have a spare bunny he can hug for a while? :)
Christopher Duncan
www.PracticalUSA.com
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes
Copywriting ServicesIt's been all hugged out, there's not much left of it. :~
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Microsoft has become so paranoid and run by lawyers, after all the law-suits, that they wouldn't even dare to ask you the time of day any more. It will happen to Apple soon. And Google. ( Still missing that mad scientist emoticon)
Agreed.
That's called seagull management (or sometimes pigeon management)... Fly in, flap your arms and squawk a lot, crap all over everything and fly out again... by _Damian S_
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I decided to give the "Suggested Sites" option in IE a try today. A dropdown menu with "Suggested Sites" seemed obvious enough so I tried it. "To use Suggested sites turn on Web Slices" OK. Odd and seemingly unrelated. As a developer, though, I can imagine that someone worked out how to add the "Suggested Sites" functionality as a trivial addition once WebSlices were added, then marketing decided to push "Suggested Sites" more the Webslices, but then Legal got in the way and insisted webslices be turned on explicitely by the user, instead of automatically. So I turn them on and try again "Turn on Suggested Sites" OK, getting a little lame, but I bet it was legal again. "Turning it on automatically is a breach of privacy blah blah". So I click the "turn it on" button. "Do you want to discover websites you might like based on websites you've visited?" Didn't I just ask for it to be turned on? OK, fine. *click*. I then try the dropdown again "See Suggested sites" You are kidding me. I've turned on two features. I've tried a third time to view, and to view suggested sites I have to click through a further time? To be fair, the next time I tried it the sites came up immediately, but what I can't help thinking is that if Apple had this then I would click on the "See suggested sites" menu item and there, in a dropdown, would be a list of suggested sites.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
And the big question is what where your suggested sites? anything worthwhile?
Weight loss Target Weight at start [1/Feb/2009] 127kg Weight now [17/Feb/2010] 97.5kg Target weight : 80kg Only 17.5 to go hope to be there by July Wish me luck!
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And the big question is what where your suggested sites? anything worthwhile?
Weight loss Target Weight at start [1/Feb/2009] 127kg Weight now [17/Feb/2010] 97.5kg Target weight : 80kg Only 17.5 to go hope to be there by July Wish me luck!
Well - that then starts a thread about why Bing isn't successful. One of the top, all-time sites that would appeal to a user visiting CodeProject is... (drumroll) http://net-snmp.sourceforge.net/docs/man/snmpd.conf.html[^] :doh:
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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Well - that then starts a thread about why Bing isn't successful. One of the top, all-time sites that would appeal to a user visiting CodeProject is... (drumroll) http://net-snmp.sourceforge.net/docs/man/snmpd.conf.html[^] :doh:
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
ha. You really need the mad scientist laugh for that one.
I can imagine the sinking feeling one would have after ordering my book, only to find a laughably ridiculous theory with demented logic once the book arrives - Mark McCutcheon
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I decided to give the "Suggested Sites" option in IE a try today. A dropdown menu with "Suggested Sites" seemed obvious enough so I tried it. "To use Suggested sites turn on Web Slices" OK. Odd and seemingly unrelated. As a developer, though, I can imagine that someone worked out how to add the "Suggested Sites" functionality as a trivial addition once WebSlices were added, then marketing decided to push "Suggested Sites" more the Webslices, but then Legal got in the way and insisted webslices be turned on explicitely by the user, instead of automatically. So I turn them on and try again "Turn on Suggested Sites" OK, getting a little lame, but I bet it was legal again. "Turning it on automatically is a breach of privacy blah blah". So I click the "turn it on" button. "Do you want to discover websites you might like based on websites you've visited?" Didn't I just ask for it to be turned on? OK, fine. *click*. I then try the dropdown again "See Suggested sites" You are kidding me. I've turned on two features. I've tried a third time to view, and to view suggested sites I have to click through a further time? To be fair, the next time I tried it the sites came up immediately, but what I can't help thinking is that if Apple had this then I would click on the "See suggested sites" menu item and there, in a dropdown, would be a list of suggested sites.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
Chris Maunder wrote:
if Apple had this then I would click on the "See suggested sites" menu item and there, in a dropdown, would be a list of suggested sites.
It does exactly that: http://www.stevejobs.com http://www.thoughtsofstevejobs.com http://www.designtenetsofstevejobs.com http://www.stevejobsknowswhatyoulikesoshutup.com http://www.ifstevejobshadmadechucknorrishewouldbereallytough.com
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!