Inside the mysterious minds of users
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Yesterday I was forwarded a typical email, from a typical user. It had an excel spreadsheet, waiting for user input in 4 of the cells. The first of these (and the only one that mattered) was your name. The spreadsheet then displayed a cell below with big, bold, red font saying something to the effect of "User quit playing and get back to work". Now the reason I know that typical users must love this is the long trail of people in the email who have passed it on. None of them had bothered to delete all the other addresses. They had all sent them to what I can only assume was every single person in their address books, from A to Z, which would indicate that they thought the whole experience of the spreadsheet most enjoyable. So, this got me thinking about users. If I built a complicated DB, which dynamically collected info from the moon via little gadgets up there monitoring it's surface, they would be bored. If I give them an HTML page, with a javascript prompt, asking for their name, and then display the page with their name in it to make it interactive, they get excited. Perhaps this is some explanation as to what users want. Perhaps it isn't. Why am I sharing this piece of enlightenment with you? I don't know...:~ I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages A moment of silence please. A programmer's best friend has passed beyond that great exception in the sky.... - Mark Conger on "The coffee machine has died"
Click this link and think about how many times this has been posted to CP...
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Shog9 Life seems pretty easy when it's from my easy chair And you're burnin up inside and no one cares...
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Yesterday I was forwarded a typical email, from a typical user. It had an excel spreadsheet, waiting for user input in 4 of the cells. The first of these (and the only one that mattered) was your name. The spreadsheet then displayed a cell below with big, bold, red font saying something to the effect of "User quit playing and get back to work". Now the reason I know that typical users must love this is the long trail of people in the email who have passed it on. None of them had bothered to delete all the other addresses. They had all sent them to what I can only assume was every single person in their address books, from A to Z, which would indicate that they thought the whole experience of the spreadsheet most enjoyable. So, this got me thinking about users. If I built a complicated DB, which dynamically collected info from the moon via little gadgets up there monitoring it's surface, they would be bored. If I give them an HTML page, with a javascript prompt, asking for their name, and then display the page with their name in it to make it interactive, they get excited. Perhaps this is some explanation as to what users want. Perhaps it isn't. Why am I sharing this piece of enlightenment with you? I don't know...:~ I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages A moment of silence please. A programmer's best friend has passed beyond that great exception in the sky.... - Mark Conger on "The coffee machine has died"
You probably weren't after a serious answer but I liked this article: http://www.shift.com/content/web/409/1.html[^]
I'd wear a miniskirt and pimp myself for an extra ten grand a year. - David Wulff
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You probably weren't after a serious answer but I liked this article: http://www.shift.com/content/web/409/1.html[^]
I'd wear a miniskirt and pimp myself for an extra ten grand a year. - David Wulff
"...how MTV and the web have shortened our attention spans. I won’t dwell on this because I’m bound to lose half my readers." :laugh: Very good! :-D
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages A moment of silence please. A programmer's best friend has passed beyond that great exception in the sky.... - Mark Conger on "The coffee machine has died"
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Click this link and think about how many times this has been posted to CP...
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Shog9 Life seems pretty easy when it's from my easy chair And you're burnin up inside and no one cares...
Lol - that's great! Unfortunately I omitted one important fact - the "user" who sent me the email was my mother in law. Sending her a flashing page saying "you are an idiot" would do little for family relations :laugh:
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages A moment of silence please. A programmer's best friend has passed beyond that great exception in the sky.... - Mark Conger on "The coffee machine has died"
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Yesterday I was forwarded a typical email, from a typical user. It had an excel spreadsheet, waiting for user input in 4 of the cells. The first of these (and the only one that mattered) was your name. The spreadsheet then displayed a cell below with big, bold, red font saying something to the effect of "User quit playing and get back to work". Now the reason I know that typical users must love this is the long trail of people in the email who have passed it on. None of them had bothered to delete all the other addresses. They had all sent them to what I can only assume was every single person in their address books, from A to Z, which would indicate that they thought the whole experience of the spreadsheet most enjoyable. So, this got me thinking about users. If I built a complicated DB, which dynamically collected info from the moon via little gadgets up there monitoring it's surface, they would be bored. If I give them an HTML page, with a javascript prompt, asking for their name, and then display the page with their name in it to make it interactive, they get excited. Perhaps this is some explanation as to what users want. Perhaps it isn't. Why am I sharing this piece of enlightenment with you? I don't know...:~ I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages A moment of silence please. A programmer's best friend has passed beyond that great exception in the sky.... - Mark Conger on "The coffee machine has died"
Megan Forbes wrote: I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning The underside ? X| Would you like to meet my teddy bear ?
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Megan Forbes wrote: I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning The underside ? X| Would you like to meet my teddy bear ?
Trollslayer wrote: The underside ? :laugh: No. I had one of those nights where for 3 hours I couldn't fall asleep, then sleep suddenly came 15 mins before my alarm went off. However, my day was brightened by this in my inbox from a friend - "No matter how hard life is, it comes with a free ticket round the sun once a year" :-D
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages A moment of silence please. A programmer's best friend has passed beyond that great exception in the sky.... - Mark Conger on "The coffee machine has died"
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Yesterday I was forwarded a typical email, from a typical user. It had an excel spreadsheet, waiting for user input in 4 of the cells. The first of these (and the only one that mattered) was your name. The spreadsheet then displayed a cell below with big, bold, red font saying something to the effect of "User quit playing and get back to work". Now the reason I know that typical users must love this is the long trail of people in the email who have passed it on. None of them had bothered to delete all the other addresses. They had all sent them to what I can only assume was every single person in their address books, from A to Z, which would indicate that they thought the whole experience of the spreadsheet most enjoyable. So, this got me thinking about users. If I built a complicated DB, which dynamically collected info from the moon via little gadgets up there monitoring it's surface, they would be bored. If I give them an HTML page, with a javascript prompt, asking for their name, and then display the page with their name in it to make it interactive, they get excited. Perhaps this is some explanation as to what users want. Perhaps it isn't. Why am I sharing this piece of enlightenment with you? I don't know...:~ I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages A moment of silence please. A programmer's best friend has passed beyond that great exception in the sky.... - Mark Conger on "The coffee machine has died"
I found this article very informative on how users think: The IceBerg Secret, Revealed[^]
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Yesterday I was forwarded a typical email, from a typical user. It had an excel spreadsheet, waiting for user input in 4 of the cells. The first of these (and the only one that mattered) was your name. The spreadsheet then displayed a cell below with big, bold, red font saying something to the effect of "User quit playing and get back to work". Now the reason I know that typical users must love this is the long trail of people in the email who have passed it on. None of them had bothered to delete all the other addresses. They had all sent them to what I can only assume was every single person in their address books, from A to Z, which would indicate that they thought the whole experience of the spreadsheet most enjoyable. So, this got me thinking about users. If I built a complicated DB, which dynamically collected info from the moon via little gadgets up there monitoring it's surface, they would be bored. If I give them an HTML page, with a javascript prompt, asking for their name, and then display the page with their name in it to make it interactive, they get excited. Perhaps this is some explanation as to what users want. Perhaps it isn't. Why am I sharing this piece of enlightenment with you? I don't know...:~ I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages A moment of silence please. A programmer's best friend has passed beyond that great exception in the sky.... - Mark Conger on "The coffee machine has died"
Megan Forbes wrote: If I give them an HTML page, with a javascript prompt, asking for their name, and then display the page with their name in it to make it interactive, they get excited. Perhaps this is some explanation as to what users want. No, It is an explanation of what gets them excited. It is now personal and you have taken the time to let them know they exist. What is wanted once the excitement wares off is another matter to be dealt with. You just have to plan for both. :) "I will find a new sig someday."
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Megan Forbes wrote: If I give them an HTML page, with a javascript prompt, asking for their name, and then display the page with their name in it to make it interactive, they get excited. Perhaps this is some explanation as to what users want. No, It is an explanation of what gets them excited. It is now personal and you have taken the time to let them know they exist. What is wanted once the excitement wares off is another matter to be dealt with. You just have to plan for both. :) "I will find a new sig someday."
Michael A. Barnhart wrote: What is wanted once the excitement wares off is another matter to be dealt with. You just have to plan for both :-D - I think you have hit the nail on the head!
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages A moment of silence please. A programmer's best friend has passed beyond that great exception in the sky.... - Mark Conger on "The coffee machine has died"
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Yesterday I was forwarded a typical email, from a typical user. It had an excel spreadsheet, waiting for user input in 4 of the cells. The first of these (and the only one that mattered) was your name. The spreadsheet then displayed a cell below with big, bold, red font saying something to the effect of "User quit playing and get back to work". Now the reason I know that typical users must love this is the long trail of people in the email who have passed it on. None of them had bothered to delete all the other addresses. They had all sent them to what I can only assume was every single person in their address books, from A to Z, which would indicate that they thought the whole experience of the spreadsheet most enjoyable. So, this got me thinking about users. If I built a complicated DB, which dynamically collected info from the moon via little gadgets up there monitoring it's surface, they would be bored. If I give them an HTML page, with a javascript prompt, asking for their name, and then display the page with their name in it to make it interactive, they get excited. Perhaps this is some explanation as to what users want. Perhaps it isn't. Why am I sharing this piece of enlightenment with you? I don't know...:~ I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages A moment of silence please. A programmer's best friend has passed beyond that great exception in the sky.... - Mark Conger on "The coffee machine has died"
Megan Forbes wrote: So, this got me thinking about users. If I built a complicated DB, which dynamically collected info from the moon via little gadgets up there monitoring it's surface, they would be bored. If I give them an HTML page, with a javascript prompt, asking for their name, and then display the page with their name in it to make it interactive, they get excited. Perhaps this is some explanation as to what users want. Perhaps it isn't So why not write a complicated DB monitoring the moon via little gadgets up there that will randomly display the user's name in bright red. ;P;P Reminds me of case study in my Econ class. Company ABC and XYZ (can't remember their names now) were competitors in making Widgets. ABC's Widgets were better, but very plain. XYZ decided that instead of trying to make a better quality product, to install so flashing light *that did nothing*. The customers went for the XYZ's Widgets because they looked better. ABC is out of business, and XYZ is not. :wtf: Totally weird, eh? That's users for you! That's why I ramble so much. If you're short and quotable, there's a much greater danger of ending up in a sig. [Christopher Duncan on how to prevent yourself from ending up in a sig]
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I found this article very informative on how users think: The IceBerg Secret, Revealed[^]
Customers Don't Know What They Want. Stop Expecting Customers to Know What They Want. So true, so very true. :mad:(at users) I've read this link before; it's very good. :-D That's why I ramble so much. If you're short and quotable, there's a much greater danger of ending up in a sig. [Christopher Duncan on how to prevent yourself from ending up in a sig]
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You probably weren't after a serious answer but I liked this article: http://www.shift.com/content/web/409/1.html[^]
I'd wear a miniskirt and pimp myself for an extra ten grand a year. - David Wulff
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Megan Forbes wrote: So, this got me thinking about users. If I built a complicated DB, which dynamically collected info from the moon via little gadgets up there monitoring it's surface, they would be bored. If I give them an HTML page, with a javascript prompt, asking for their name, and then display the page with their name in it to make it interactive, they get excited. Perhaps this is some explanation as to what users want. Perhaps it isn't So why not write a complicated DB monitoring the moon via little gadgets up there that will randomly display the user's name in bright red. ;P;P Reminds me of case study in my Econ class. Company ABC and XYZ (can't remember their names now) were competitors in making Widgets. ABC's Widgets were better, but very plain. XYZ decided that instead of trying to make a better quality product, to install so flashing light *that did nothing*. The customers went for the XYZ's Widgets because they looked better. ABC is out of business, and XYZ is not. :wtf: Totally weird, eh? That's users for you! That's why I ramble so much. If you're short and quotable, there's a much greater danger of ending up in a sig. [Christopher Duncan on how to prevent yourself from ending up in a sig]
I really believe your ABC vc XYZ analogy is close to 100% true for software. Functionality counts for little, but flashing lights and trendy GUI is important to users. Few users are actual power users of apps. Regardz Colin J Davies
Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin
You are the intrepid one, always willing to leap into the fray! A serious character flaw, I might add, but entertaining. Said by Roger Wright about me.
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I really believe your ABC vc XYZ analogy is close to 100% true for software. Functionality counts for little, but flashing lights and trendy GUI is important to users. Few users are actual power users of apps. Regardz Colin J Davies
Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin
You are the intrepid one, always willing to leap into the fray! A serious character flaw, I might add, but entertaining. Said by Roger Wright about me.
It's the damn Iceberg principle [^] that's been posted many times before I'm sure! Like the graphical monstrosity of leppie's (I think it was his, someone had it in their signature, about how his 20year old sister liked this overly developed GUI... crap.. useless brain!) :-D That's why I ramble so much. If you're short and quotable, there's a much greater danger of ending up in a sig. [Christopher Duncan on how to prevent yourself from ending up in a sig]
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Yesterday I was forwarded a typical email, from a typical user. It had an excel spreadsheet, waiting for user input in 4 of the cells. The first of these (and the only one that mattered) was your name. The spreadsheet then displayed a cell below with big, bold, red font saying something to the effect of "User quit playing and get back to work". Now the reason I know that typical users must love this is the long trail of people in the email who have passed it on. None of them had bothered to delete all the other addresses. They had all sent them to what I can only assume was every single person in their address books, from A to Z, which would indicate that they thought the whole experience of the spreadsheet most enjoyable. So, this got me thinking about users. If I built a complicated DB, which dynamically collected info from the moon via little gadgets up there monitoring it's surface, they would be bored. If I give them an HTML page, with a javascript prompt, asking for their name, and then display the page with their name in it to make it interactive, they get excited. Perhaps this is some explanation as to what users want. Perhaps it isn't. Why am I sharing this piece of enlightenment with you? I don't know...:~ I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages A moment of silence please. A programmer's best friend has passed beyond that great exception in the sky.... - Mark Conger on "The coffee machine has died"
Its hard for developers to know what users want. the masses of code that are behind everything on my site would baffle anyone silly, yet they think its really simple, which ok is the idea, but it makes it all seem in vain. Another similar thing is this. The other day I had to give a powerpoint (shudder) presentation on a topic of my choice. I chose networking. I deviated a little bi and went onto DNS and IP. All of which i found facinating and i learned a thing or two myself. Of couse the class of low life mis fits thought it was "reeeeally booooring" and were more interested in how computer are used in blowing things up. I will never understand them.
We brought out this new and very similar version of our expensive software because the old version was......old....It's a good enough excuse for Microsoft so its fine for us.
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I really believe your ABC vc XYZ analogy is close to 100% true for software. Functionality counts for little, but flashing lights and trendy GUI is important to users. Few users are actual power users of apps. Regardz Colin J Davies
Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin
You are the intrepid one, always willing to leap into the fray! A serious character flaw, I might add, but entertaining. Said by Roger Wright about me.
my problem is, no one ever makes simple software any more. I was looking for an app to convert x thousand .ico's into .gif;s. Now had i had any experience in graphics i'd have written an app to do this, but i decided to instead search the glorious net. 3 billion or whatever it is pages on google and NOT ONE SINGLE APP DID WHAT I WANTED!!!!! They were all "convert .ICO to bitmap!" "Ultimate image program. Will do everything. Only $400!" Alls i wanted was simple tool for free and no one writes them anymore. everyone goes for the 'Suite' software now. All or nothing.
We brought out this new and very similar version of our expensive software because the old version was......old....It's a good enough excuse for Microsoft so its fine for us.
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Lol - that's great! Unfortunately I omitted one important fact - the "user" who sent me the email was my mother in law. Sending her a flashing page saying "you are an idiot" would do little for family relations :laugh:
I knew it would end badly when I first met Chris in a Canberra alleyway and he said 'try some - it won't hurt you'..... - Christian Graus on Code Project outages A moment of silence please. A programmer's best friend has passed beyond that great exception in the sky.... - Mark Conger on "The coffee machine has died"
Megan Forbes wrote: do little for family relations True enough. But there is always the hope that she'll forward it to whoever sent her the stupid spreadsheet email! "My child was Inmate of the Month at Mohave County Jail" - Bumper Sticker in Bullhead City, AZ