Tuesday, December 10, 2002

The myth of the conceptual model Mark Bernstein's counterpoint to Nielsen is worth reading, and Mark's right, but he misses the obvious point that I refute. That people need to build a conceptual model of a website. I've observed numerous user studies of how people find and navigate onscreen information, and except for the few oddballs who make their living as writers or designers, people don't struggle to understand the "information space" or "hierarchy" of information. They browse. They scan. They click shit. If what they click doesn't seem to be what they want, they click something else. Clickety, clickety, click. Click. Click. Click. 6:09:48 PM    comment [] Coco Montoya It was a real treat to attend the Coco Montoya show at JJ's Blues in San Jose. This was my first visit to JJ's, and I found it a neat place that I'm sorry I didn't explore earlier. It has a typical music-bar emphasis and feel, the walls literally ooze blues history, and the atmosphere is casual, friendly, and comforting. It's not a surprise they've been in business nearly 20 years. Coco has a commanding presence, a rich and powerful voice, and guitar chops to spare. The bar is so small that you immediately feel a connection to the performers; they're just a few feet away and there's no "backstage" area where they can spirit way from the audience. Coco and his extremely tight band played two 90 minute sets, providing ample opportunity to soak in the multi-layered and high-energy sound of the quartet. It was clear that they could have played longer, but as the clock passed 1AM I could hear my pillow calling. But I still I couldn't tear myself away until the last note was finished. What a great night! If you're not familiar with Coco, check out his albums, or try to catch a live show. He's next playing two dates in Santa Cruz, you just might see me there. 8:06:35 AM    comment []

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