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ISSUE #17
Date: Apr 29 1999 03:32:46 GMT
From: WebWord.com Usability Newsletter <WebWord-owner@listbot.com>
Subject: WebWord.com Newsletter #17
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WebWord.com Newsletter
"Usability & the Internet"
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List Owner
John S. Rhodes
John@WebWord.com
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April 28, 1999 Newsletter #17
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Table of Contents
1. Super Easy Usability Testing
2. Improving the User Interface
3. Open Company News: 600 Subscribers
4. Beyond Reciprocal Links
5. Newsletter Ad Swap
6. As Simple as Possible
7. Internet News Bureau (sponsor)
8. White Text on a Blue Background
9. Reader Feedback: When "Undo" Can't "Save" You
10. Open Company Information: A Brief Commentary
11. What Can You Find at WebWord.com?
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ITEM #1
A New Moving WebWord Article is Now Online:
<http://www.WebWord.com/moving/easytesting.html>
Super Easy Usability Testing
In response to your feedback, I have created an
insanely easy-to-understand introduction to
usability testing. You only need to follow two
very simple steps. That's right -- two steps! I
don't use any jargon, and I don't require you to
have any background knowledge. This is super easy.
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ITEM #2
A New Expert Interview is Now Online:
<http://webword.com/interviews/marcus.html>
Improving the User Interface
Aaron Marcus shares his knowledge of user interface
design in this interview. He answers several very
interesting, and important questions:
* What is a user-interface?
* What are the five primary user-interface components?
* Why must we be concerned with 'tools' and 'signs' in
interface design?
* What five things improve user-interface design the
most?
Aaron offers an excellent, in-depth survey of
user-interface issues. And, he has an interesting and
rather unique background that has helped him develop
a great approach to interface testing and design. If
you design interfaces, web or otherwise, there is
some very useful information for you in this
interview.
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ITEM #3
Open Company News: 600 Subscribers
As part of my Open Company initiative, I wanted
to inform you that there are now 600 WebWord.com
Usability Newsletter subscribers. This is great
news for several reasons. First, as many of you
know, for every 100 new subscribers I remove a
banner ad from WebWord.com. This time I removed
a banner from Lynda Weinman's expert interview:
<http://webword.com/interviews/weinman.html>.
Second, I'm happy to see that WebWord.com continues
to expand its reach. As readership increases, our
community involvement increases. Similarly, the
level of feedback and useful tips increases.
Please forward this newsletter to a friend or two.
T H A N K S !
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ITEM #4
Beyond Reciprocal Links
Many small web sites must begin to look beyond
simple linking to survive. Like in the "real world",
you must build networks of colleagues and associates.
You must have solid business partners. You must build
"community".
I recently voiced my opinions on this matter in the
Link Exchange Digest (Issue #577, 13-Apr-99)
<http://digest.linkexchange.com/led/led577>.
There were plenty of follow ups to this posting.
This really is becoming important. If you have
comments or opinions, please throw them my way
<mailto:john@webword.com>. I will give this
more
attention if folks in this forum are interested. If
there is enough demand, I'll write a column on it.
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ITEM #5
Newsletter Ad Swap
I will place your ad in this newsletter if you
place my ad in your newsletter. If you want to do
a newsletter ad swap, please contact me
<mailto:john@webword.com>.
If you are interesting in swapping ads with other
newsletter publishers let me know. I might set up
a simple and free newsletter swap exchange.
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ITEM #6
As Simple as Possible
I found a good article by Terry Sullivan that
advocates making things simple. Of course this is
great advice. With any technology, if you can cut
down on the number of parts, there are going to be
less points for failure. This can motivate the design
of everything from a yo-yo to a space shuttle. In any
event, the article is interesting and useful.
http://webtechniques.com/features/1999/04/sullivan/sullivan.shtml
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ITEM #7
Internet News Bureau (sponsor)
Reach 2,000 subscribing journalists with one press
release. These journalists cover specific topics and
industries, such as business, finance, arts and
entertainment, and travel. Make an impact with
journalists in the UK and several non-English speaking
countries. Their "International Partners" translate and
localize press releases into their native languages,
and distribute them to their personal media contacts.
http://www.newsbureau.com/welcome.cgi?5044
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ITEM #8
White Text on a Blue Background
On 18-Apr-99 I posted a question to the CHI-WEB
Mailing List regarding research related to white
text on blue backgrounds. I've compiled a brief
report on this topic:
<http://webword.com/reports/contrast.html>.
I want to thank William Hudson, Joy Schwarz, Jason
Orrill, and everyone else for their helpful comments.
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ITEM #9
Reader Feedback: When "Undo" Can't "Save" You
In the last newsletter (#16) I stated that I wanted
an "Undo Last Save" option in my software. I've lost
data too many times, and this is very frustrating.
Here's what Mark Neely had to say:
"I guess it all goes to the issue of 'bloatware'.
Documents like MS Word docs are unnecessarily huge,
because Word already saves all manner of information
in the "final" save, including various iterations
of undo. To add yet another level of "undo" (undo
last save) would require multiple copies of each
document to be saved in the 'document proper'.
"What you are asking for may also have potential
privacy implications.
"As mentioned, MS Word already saves copies of the
different iterations of a document within the
document proper for the purposes of the 'undo'
commands. In a world where documents are increasingly
being distributed electronically, this can trap users
-- amendments and changes that you may have thought
have been deleted for good can still be sniffed out
by reading the document file at disk level. This
might reveal confidential information, betray
crucial, private thought-processes or worse."
Mark Neely, LLB AIMM
Author, Lawyer, Internet Strategist & Professional Cynic
Subscribe to the Net-Alert mailing list:
<http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/net-alert>
* Thanks for the Feedback Mark!
More feedback, from Phil McKinney:
"I really enjoy your newsletter and all the useful
info. I recently came across a program that will
allow you to save/undo your work. It's called GoBack
<http://www.goback.com>. Click on 'Free Trial',
I've
sent for their demo software for a trial and will
definitely purchase if it does what it claims. Hope
this helps."
Visit Phil & Moke's Secret Free Place
<http://www.maxpatch.com>
* Thanks Phil!
And finally, a word or two from Ashley Latham:
"Interesting comment you made about the undo last
save command, or lack of.
"It is this same reason that I always disable the
automatic 'save every 10 minutes' function on any
application that has it. I have had a couple of bad
experiences in the past where the computer made an
automatic save just after I'd made several major dumb
moves and instead of hitting undo, undo, undo (and in
some older programs and even some new you don't have
multiple undos) then I'd decide to close the document
and start fresh on my good saved copy only to find that
my good saved copy is now exactly the same as the mess
I just threw out."
Ashley Latham
Web Designer
Novo Nordisk IT Ltd. Web Solutions
* Interesting stuff. Thank you.
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ITEM #10
Open Company Information: Brief Commentary
I do not make my living by publishing this Newsletter.
And, I don't rely on WebWord.com to buy food and pay
the rent. Nevertheless, I enjoy writing articles and
interviewing experts. I greatly appreciate your feedback
and positive words. Thank you for all of your support.
Actually, I only make about US$30-40 per month through
WebWord.com. This is just about enough to pay for
hosting and other related costs. Since I don't push ads
and banners, I can't make much money. In the future
perhaps WebWord.com will make me rich and famous. Well,
I can hope, can't I?
I guess what I'm getting at is that your email and
suggestions keep me going. I suppose that if you offered
me a great book deal I'd take it, or if you wanted to
buy WebWord.com for about $250,000 I'd take that too.
Until then, your support keeps WebWord.com alive and
kicking. Keep up the great work! ;-)
Tell a friend about WebWord.com and this newsletter!
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ITEM #11
What Can You Find at WebWord.com?
Articles (Moving WebWord)
<http://webword.com/moving/>
Expert Interviews
<http://webword.com/interviews/>
Recommended Books
<http://webword.com/books/booksindex.html>
Recommended Web Sites
<http://webword.com/hotsites.html>
Free Stuff
<http://webword.com/freestuff.html>
---- End of WebWord.com Usability Newsletter #17 ------
(c)1998-99 by John S. Rhodes. All rights reserved.
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