VIA Interaction

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

CERN still on the Web's cutting edge

The World Wide Web was invented at CERN, the great particle physics research organization based in Switzerland. It as intended as a medium to share research and collaborate on projects.

The scientists there are still using the Web to spread the word:

posted by Tim Beidel at 7/30/2008 07:38:00 AM

---

 

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Intelligent Design: Facebook and MySpace

Facebook is soft launching a redesign that aims to bring order to its expanding universe. On first glance, it seems to do a better job of organizing the clutter that has accompanied the burgeoning number of applications available to devotees.

MySpace is trying to catch up, recently launching its own redesign that cleans up its famous trashy look.

I have long been interested in, for lack of a better term, "deliberate downscale," a design ethic that seems to aim lower than the typical aesthetic ideas in an attempt to convey something like "we are approachable" or "we are focused on price, not sizzle." Wal-Mart's marketing has always approached me as the best example of that.

I wondered whether MySpace's "design" was really all about that, but its latest moves suggest that that may have been overthinking it; MySpace just developed the same way as the platypus and other odd products of evolution. Stuff just started appearing and if it worked, it remained glommed on.

Facebook started out ahead of the game, with a clean look that suggested usability, but the addition of so many applications probably made it less usable in a classical sense.

Both social networking sites seem to be onto a phase of intelligent design.

posted by Tim Beidel at 7/22/2008 07:40:00 AM

---

 

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Google now reads Flash

Google says it is reading and indexing Flash files. Good news for Web sites like VIA's.

Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Improved Flash indexing: "We've received numerous requests to improve our indexing of Adobe Flash files. Today, Ron Adler and Janis Stipins—software engineers on our indexing team—will provide us with more in-depth information about our recent announcement that we've greatly improved our ability to index Flash."

posted by Tim Beidel at 7/02/2008 11:25:00 AM

---

 

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Bill Gates on Usability

The Seattle Times unearthed a five-year-old email from Bill Gates in which Gates goes ballistic about his experience trying to download Microsoft MovieMaker from his company's Web site.

Among the gems:

So I gave up and sent mail to Amir saying - where is this Moviemaker download? Does it exist?

So they told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated.

They told me to go to the main page search button and type movie maker (not moviemaker!).

and

"This time I get dialogs saying things like 'Open' or 'Save'. No guidance in the instructions which to do. I have no clue which to do."

Working on large, complex Web sites can be tough, but every once in a while someone powerful sees the light and it gives one hope!

posted by Tim Beidel at 6/25/2008 05:23:00 PM

---

 

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Here's why the iPhone will take over the enterprise

From the Motley Fool's iPhone Takes the Enterprise? Bet On It.:

My point? Innovation is the only constant in tech. So even though corporate buyers have no urgent reason to switch to the iPhone, it's almost certain that an enterprising developer will create one.

But that will take years. In the meantime, the iPhone will catch on at corporations for the same reason that other popular mobile devices did -- because executives and employees bring them to work.

posted by Tim Beidel at 6/18/2008 04:16:00 PM

---