Thursday, 15 August 2002

I just do use cases Programmers must think like machines. It's a tragic fact that programmers have to think like machines. Usability expert Alan Cooper has said that from a programmer's perspective, users are peripheral devices that must sometimes be polled for input. Over the years, the focus has gradually shifted from applications to documents as the organizing metaphor, but the cluttered GUI desktop embodies little of the social fabric that knowledge, oops, information workers weave. .... The biggest hurdle may be cultural. A version of Office that puts people first, not applications or data, has to revive Hailstorm. Software that does what we want has to know what we want. Jon Udell, "Putting people first for a change," InfoWorld, 9 Aug 2002. [ideas] Maybe I am just displaying the fact that I am a programmer, but how the hell does writing user focused software mean we have to revive Hailstorm? *confused* 3:56:33 PM

Abusing Google Dennis W. Forbes has a go at understanding Google, as linked off of /. Looks like google-mind is not as powerful as once hoped. Shucks. 2:02:35 PM

Eeediots Piracy not responsible for music sales drop. Based on surveys of 1,000 U.S. online consumers, Forrester said it sees no evidence of decreased CD buying among frequent digital music consumers and said the record labels could restore industry growth by making it easier for people to find, copy, and pay for music on their own terms.  ZDNet.com Surveys can say almost anything, but the idea that the music companies could help themselves by respecting their customers does not seem too outrageous. [Steve's Radio Weblog] Betcha ten bucks the current generation of RIAA execs never go that way. They are used to treating their customers as idiots-with-wallets. Hopefully the next generation of music intermediaries (if there is one) will be more useful. 1:40:16 PM

Chick gamers More women playing computer games Dr. T.L. Taylor, assistant professor of communication at North Carolina State University, says recent trends show increasing numbers of girls and women enjoying games on their computers. [David Harris' Science News] Interesting 12:11:50 PM

Chewin' on gold laden sprouts Alfalfa plants can harvest gold Ordinary alfalfa plants are being used as miniature gold factories that one day could provide the nanotechnology industry with a continuous harvest of gold nanoparticles. [David Harris' Science News] If only the hippies knew ... 10:25:50 AM

The future is bright SF Gate: Not a Moment Too Soon. In essence, ChoiceMail's software turns your e-mail box into the equivalent of your front door. If strangers want to enter, they have to knock and identify themselves first. Anyone who won't do that is automatically turned away without you being bothered. [Tomalak's Realm] Hey, email may yet survive. 9:59:37 AM

The way forward About 8 Million [American] job seekers are vying for 3.5 million jobs. About 8 Million [American] job seekers are vying for 3.5 million jobs I rarely touch politics in my blog since I am so politically disinterested but the all to obvious farce that was President Bush's economic summit yesterday inspired me to post this: About 8 Million [American] job seekers are vying for 3.5 million jobs Wall Street Journal August 14, 2002, Page B10 And we wonder why we can't find a job.  NOTE: The professional economists apparently lack all the historical data needed to confirm this number definitively.  It's from the new "Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey" or Jolts.  Still there seems to be validity to it and even if it's off by 50% then there are people who simply aren't going to get jobs.  Period.  Do the math.   Here's another interesting quote: "This time the data suggests that millions couldn't get a job even if they moved, upgraded their skills or took a job they once thought beneath them, says Jeffrey Wenger, an economist with with the labor backed Economic Policy Institute." Scary.  Just plain scary.  But given the empirical data I have, based on people all over the country that talk to me online, all well skilled, talented people, I'd believe it. [The FuzzyBlog!] Let's think about this for a moment. We have a large number of intelligent go-getter tech people out of work. A large reason for this is that the current market doesn't have much left to automate. The marginal utility of upgrading windows or office is so small in comparison to the opportunity cost of the cash required. Same goes for CRM systems too. So what happens next? Well, have a look at what happened when a large number of farmers wound up out of work due to farm automation. The Industrial Revolution. To make this happen requires that the group organise itself. I suspect that blogs will make this happen, albeit a small peice at a time. So, if you are unemployed, hook up with motivated people and hack on stuff you enjoy building. And we will begin the next revolution. For real this time. 9:44:55 AM

ThinRSS makes Mike a Millionaire. Or something ThinRSS is a "Java Web Start enabled RSS browser." [Scripting News] Hey mike, you are famous ;) 9:23:33 AM

© Copyright 2002 Brett Morgan.

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