Why do so many applications consume more processing power than the average PC can support? Maybe that’s why I spend more time watching the wheel go round and round as applications try to boot up. Is the problem that I Read more
Why do organizations overlook training users about new business applications or changes to existing ones before making them available enterprise wide? Do CEOs and CIOs assume that users don’t need training and will adapt? If that’s the case—they are wrong. Read more
I am convinced that technology is making us lazy. Once upon a time, visiting a friend or family member meant traveling; nowadays we are satisfied with a few minutes on FaceTime or Skype. We friend and defriend people from social Read more
During the holidays, I saw a line of people sitting on the sidewalk in front of Best Buy. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to stand in line for something, I asked the greeter at Best Buy why everyone was Read more
I met Nicki Davis at the 2013 Summit. She talked to me about the ethnographic research she was doing and I thought her research might be of interest to you. Encouraging her to write about her research took a lot Read more
Would you be comfortable knowing that a heart-monitoring machine has a few glitches, but otherwise has 98% accuracy? Would you be comfortable knowing that the software you are using to calculate your income tax has a few calculation errors? Would Read more
Have you ever noticed instructions in the most unlikely places? The restrooms at restaurants have instructions on how to wash hands. A ladder has instructions to position and erect it. Gas stations have instructions on how to pump gasoline into Read more
As technical writers, we do not drive user acceptance, but we can influence it by writing about a system’s new features and functions, provide training, and answer users’ questions. I believe we can do a little more to help win Read more
This year I served as Lead Judge for Team 10 in the International Summit Awards (ISA) competition. I learned a few important lessons that I want to share with you. Provide a thorough assessment. Provide constructive comments and suggestions for Read more
Will Rogers once said, “People’s minds are changed through observation and not through argument.” This is why all usability tests involve observation whether intrusive or unobtrusive. Watching a user walk through the steps of a user guide (for example, to Read more