IE, FireFox and Standards

Reponse to: http://techdirt.com/articles/20080820/0941022045.shtml

The interesting thing I find is the issue of "compliance" versus majority rule. IE6 was the "standard" with Safari a long second and the original mozilla which was an aweful product that even the linux peeps only used becaused they had to.

Then along comes Firefox, with granted MUCH better security and features. However, from a user experience stand point, it continues to break all the rules:

1. it works differently (displaying pages differently) than what was already in the market place and users hands

2. it causes content and application developers headaches because now there are 3 target platforms: safari, ie and FF.

3. FF3 display differently than FF2. I have pages that work in ie6, 7, FF2, but...
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The Starbucks Code

by Jack Campisi

This morning I went to Starbucks to grab a cup of coffee. I forgot just how annoying those places can be. I haven't been to Starbucks in a while, so it took me a minute to remember their stupid Da Vinci Code of coffee sizes. I was spacing on what the hell a "large" was in Latin, Italian or whatever dialect that is.

Then, like Tom Hanks in the shadow of Sir Isaac Newton's tomb, I deduced that "Venti" was the word for large. Triumphantly, I spoke the password and expected to gain access to this secret society of caffeine. Unfortunately, the cranky woman at the counter... I mean "Barista", did not understand what I said so I had...
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Starting your SecondLife

by Mike Rogers
I recently gave into my curiosity and registered for a Second Life account. Second Life is a virtual world similar to World of Warcraft or any other MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game), except in Second Life the point of the game is to just do things you would in life. You can explore different areas, purchase clothing, go clubbing, play games, or just chat with some people.

In my first few days, I have only explored just a small portion of the game, and my first impression is that it is still in its infancy. If you have ever read Neuromancer or Snow Crash, you understand the possibilities of such a virtual world. If not, let me...
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Jack Recounts our recent experience shipping a package

The other day I had front row seats for an amazing display of terrible customer service. I was in a printing and shipping store. I don't want to give out the name, but it rhymes with Binko's. The guy behind the counter was a real clown, so let's call him Binko. Binko was helping me print and bind a document when another customer jumped in to ask him a question. It was clear that the other customer had been there for a while and was coming back for more help. I gracefully stepped aside and let him finish his business.

Whatever service the guy needed, Binko...
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Bad Salesmen hurt your business

This is a screenshot of an email promotion from a training company I have used. First, the sales man harassed the hell out of me, calling daily even though I specifically asked to be contacted via email. Secondly, he didn't provide me with any relevant communications when he did get me on the phone. I finally had to ask him to stop calling. Now about a month later I get one of the worst email marketing campaigns broken images and all.

Mac Strikes from Within

http://www.marketingtwo.com/mac-strikes-from-within.html  |  Comments

One of the big shifts in the marketing paradigm today is in the relationship of customers to the sales process. The broadcast marketing model was all about persuading customers to buy (by interrupting with effective, outbound messages). The P2P marketing model is based on inspiring customers to both buy and advocate your brand to others (by providing relevant products, service, content, and dialogue).

Last week’s BusinessWeek cover story showed the new model at work – in the nascent growth of...
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The Box

http://weeklyramble.wunderman.com/index.php/weblog/the_box/

Harold Burson always answered his own phone. He encouraged us to do the same. “Clients pay to speak with you” – not with layers of gatekeepers…was his lesson.

Abandon the Super User, Focus on Customers

http://www.marketingshift.com/2008/5/abandon-super-user-focus-customers.cfm

I am the digerati -- more or less -- which is exactly why companies should ignore me.

My television is run by one of the five computers I own. My phone receives RSS feeds, email and texts all day. My Outlook Calendar is synched with Google Calendar. I have a multimedia blog about media and journalism, complete with a wiki and social network.

All that gadgetry is necessary for me to do my job, but as the folks at ReadWriteWeb break down, the "digitally savvy," high-income, wealthy few who are early technology adopters are...
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The top 8 mistakes in usability (and companies investing in it)

Mark Hurst Describes the top 8 mistakes in usability in his Good Experience newsletter.

1. Not conducting any customer research.

2. Conducting "pretend" research.

3. Conducting research, but the wrong type.

4. Conducting one-on-one research, but with tasks defined beforehand.

5. Not inviting stakeholders to attend research.

6. Not prioritizing findings.

7. Not relating to business objectives.

8. Missing the larger picture.

http://goodexperience.com/2008/05/the-top-8-mistakes-in.php

Advertising Frequency: How many times is it effective?

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