Dotmad.net

I went to a lecture by David Platt on the subject of “Why software sucks”, which discusses what is wrong with software today (hint: it’s mostly designed by programmers) and how we can improve it.
From listening to a previous ARcast with him I already knew he is a very entertaining speaker, and he proved me right (in fact, I kept thinking I could bring my wife to one of his lectures and she would have enjoyed it as well).

David began his presentation with a screenshot from the Better Business Bureau in the US, listing complaints by industry, and the amazing thing about it - people dislike software more than they dislike used-cars salesmen!

The main idea of the presentation (backup up with all sorts of amusing anecdotes):

• People don’t buy software for the sake of the software itself - they buy software to get something done. They are not interested in using the software, they want to have used it.
• Programmers tend to design software for people like them, while most users are very different.

Platt’s solution resolved around 5 key points:

1. Add a virgin to the team - add someone to the team with zero knowledge about the inner workings of your software.
2. Break convention if needed - don’t behave in a certain way just because all every application behaves the same way.
3. Do not let edge cases complicate the main stream - extra features aimed at edge cases complicate your software and make it counter productive.
4. Instrument (Carefully) - Try to gather information about the way users use your software without harassing them.
5. Question each decision - ask if each decision is taking your project closer to the result or further away from it.

The lecture itself was followed with a Q&A session, in which I asked him a question (which landed me a signed copy of his book - thank again, David!):
If programmers are so bad at designing UI, why not bring in a specialist to do it?
His response (after correcting me for saying “Graphics designer” instead of “User interface designer”) was it’s actually a good idea, since most of the industry is already headed for specialization in various subjects.

I found another podcast on ITConversions network, and here are two short videos from the presentation:

Did some blog reading today, and found out several assumptions I had which were wrong:

• Assumption: “Protected Internal” means both protected and internal
  Wrong: It means Protected OR Internal.
• Assumption: 32bit Windows is limited to 2/4gb ram
  Wrong: It’s limited to 2gb of ram per application.
• Assumption: OpenFileDialog is harmless
  Wrong: It loads a mini-explorer, including all the extensions you have installed.

I was lucky to be invited to the official press conference of announcement of the new Live service from Microsoft.
It looks very promising, and would give Google (and Picasa) a tough competition.

Here are some interesting points from the presentation:

• Microsoft global market status: According to the speaker there are 280 million MS Messenger users worldwide, and the number of Hotmail users is three times the number of GMail users. If these numbers are correct, Microsoft can still hurt Google badly.
• The new mail service (Windows live mail) allows integration with Messenger - you can see your friends online while typing a message to them and start a chat. (Additional interesting features - contacts lists, RSS support). I was also told the spam prevention mechanism (a major problem for Hotmail users) was improved - I intend to check that.
• MS Messenger itself had an improved integration with mobile devices - you can leave voice messages to friends online.
• In the photos department Microsoft is in direct competition with Picasa, which had the advantage so for for being a “one stop shop” for all photo related applications. The new Live client application allows you to send photos to friends, with the mail containing only small thumbnails and a photo sharing site is generated automatically that allows viewing/downloading of the original photos. Additional features include embedding photos in a blog post, and creating an event-dedicated shared site, in which participants can upload photos and share them with each other.
• All of these applications come wrapped up in a single installer which allows you to select the desired installed features. It’s a serious upgrade for Outlook Express users and Messenger users, and I recommend installing Windows live photo gallery application.
• All of these services are aimed at the personal user - for organizations Microsoft has Office Communicator and a beta version of calendar sharing site.
• In the future there will be an integration between MS Live and Media center, allowing you to read and manage blogs, photos and contacts using the TV screen.
• You can register to the new service and receive a brand new mail address (you name may still be available!). Us users are directed to the Live.com domain, while users in other countries (depending on the first language in the browser’s languages configuration) may choose other domains.

Here are some pictures I took which are hosted in the new Live space I created: