I used one of my favorite sites, Espn.com, as my use-case. It is full of information, but that can make it overwhelming, too. So, I decided it would be an excellent choice.
The first of five tasks I asked my friend to complete was to find the profile page for my favorite coach, the head man of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats, Larry Brown. My friend clicked the “NBA” button on the top nav bar, then clicked “teams” on the top nav bar, then scrolled down and clicked on the “Charlotte Bobcats.” these three steps went quickly and without much trouble. He did run into some trouble on the team site page, but finally clicked on “roster” on the top nav bar. Then, he went to the bottom and clicked “Larry Brown.” So, that went pretty well, overall.
The second thing I had him find was the page for my other favorite coach, Steve Spurrier. He’s the head football coach at the University of South Carolina. So, my friend clicked “college football” on the top nav, then “teams” on the top nav, then clicked “South Carolina” which was under SEC. Again, upon reaching the team page, things bogged down a bit. He then went to “roster” on the top nav bar, but that was incorrect. So, he had to go back to the team page. He searched and searched for quite awhile, before finally going to a recap of the last game, hoping there might be something about the coach in there, and that he could link to his name. This was, I thought, a pretty savvy move. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. So, finally, having exhausted all options, he just used the search function, typing in the coach’s name, and that worked.
The third thing I had him do was see if one of my favorite columnists (Jeff MacGregor) on espn.com had a new column up for the week. He clicked on “Commentary” on the top nav. On this page, there was a spot where you could search for a particular columnist, either by last name, or by sport. I mentioned that this guy was a general columnist, not covering any specific sport, so he used the last name option, which goes by letter. So, he did “M,” but, for some reason, Macgregor failed to pop up. So, he had to break down and utilize the search function, typing in the name, which was successful.
The fourth thing I asked him to do was find the latest video episode of “Mayne Street.” As he went to click on the “video” button, a selection of shows immediately came up as he hovered over the button, one of which was indeed “Mayne Street.” Obviously, this was one of the better functions of the site. It made this task very easy. He clicked on “Mayne Street” and the show’s page came up, complete with all the episodes and other stuff. Excellent.
Finally, I had him look up when my favorite sporting event, the Kentucky Derby, will be held this year. Obviously, everyone knows it’s famously always “The First Saturday in May,” so it would be easy to figure out. Alas, that is not the point. The point was to have him look it up through the site. He hovered over the “all sports” button on the top nav, which made a whole plethora of sports appear, and he clicked horse racing. Then, he clicked the “calendars” button on the top nav bar. However, there was no way to go to next May. The calendar only went through 2009. This was very disappointing and unthinkable. Talk about a major glitch. They really need to rectify that.
Obviously, the site was varied. The best thing they did was the ease with which one could find the video of “Mayne Street” episodes. The worst was the fact that their calendar for horse racing events only went through the current year. That was pathetic. The other three tasks were in the middle, ranging from fairly easy to accomplish, to arduous, difficult, onerous, and considerably more time-consuming
Monday, November 30, 2009
Google gets into holiday shopping
I am always out there on Black Friday, amongst the masses. It's become a bit of an annual event. I have yet to engage in Cyber Monday, and maybe I should. It's evidentally quite the enormous deal. Microsoft beat Google to the punch, which is rare, by launcing Bing Cashback. However, Google has now counterpunched. They set up a special "Checkout Deals" page "where you can get discounts on products purchased using Mountain View’s Internet payment system"
"Savings range from $5 to $20 and involve hundreds of participating stores, including Buy.com, Petco and Toys”R”Us."
This is another intelligent move by Google. They always seem to get it right. Even when they are late to the party, they still adroitly jump in, and promptly do it better than anyone else. No wonder they are so good.
"Savings range from $5 to $20 and involve hundreds of participating stores, including Buy.com, Petco and Toys”R”Us."
This is another intelligent move by Google. They always seem to get it right. Even when they are late to the party, they still adroitly jump in, and promptly do it better than anyone else. No wonder they are so good.
Monday, November 23, 2009
plato's Forums
An idea so smart, I cannot believe nobody had invented it yet--Plato's Forums. This new technology will function as a direct way for companies and journalists to communicate with each other. It will cut out the middle man, like PR firms, and allow for that interaction. This will, ideally, lead to better communication and less miscommunication. It's a great way for companies to get their message out, and a fabulous way for journalists to easily get in touch with companiies they are writing about. The planned launch is the Spring of 2010. It could really revolutionize this industry, and be a win-win situation.
Monday, November 16, 2009
changes on Google Chrome
Evidentally, changes are afoot on google Chrome--and very soon. The author of the techcrunch piece hypothesizes that Google is on the precipice of unleashing "extension support to rival that of Firefox."
"Based on what I’m reading, developers will be able to add icons to the Chrome toolbar (likely what the image above represents), add temporary icons inside the Chrome address bar (think: RSS icon), allow users to customize the extensions, and developers will apparently even be able to implement their own versions of 'standard browser pages such as the New Tab page.'"
Furthermore, Gmail Checker "will use badging, tagging a number to the icon to let you know how many unread items you have."
"The key for all of this though appears to be to show developers just how easy it is to make your own extension for Chrome. That’s what many of the images below represent, an easy “hello world” extension that can apparently be built in just a few steps. With speed no longer its strong suit, extensions are perhaps the last great feature Firefox has a stranglehold over. If Google gets it way, that could soon change."
Obviously, if these changes come to fruition, it could mean yet another shake-up in the bruising browser battle, which has already been heated, competitive, and tumultous. Stay tuned, b/c it ought to be interesting.
"Based on what I’m reading, developers will be able to add icons to the Chrome toolbar (likely what the image above represents), add temporary icons inside the Chrome address bar (think: RSS icon), allow users to customize the extensions, and developers will apparently even be able to implement their own versions of 'standard browser pages such as the New Tab page.'"
Furthermore, Gmail Checker "will use badging, tagging a number to the icon to let you know how many unread items you have."
"The key for all of this though appears to be to show developers just how easy it is to make your own extension for Chrome. That’s what many of the images below represent, an easy “hello world” extension that can apparently be built in just a few steps. With speed no longer its strong suit, extensions are perhaps the last great feature Firefox has a stranglehold over. If Google gets it way, that could soon change."
Obviously, if these changes come to fruition, it could mean yet another shake-up in the bruising browser battle, which has already been heated, competitive, and tumultous. Stay tuned, b/c it ought to be interesting.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Celebrating another momentous anniversary
November 9th--ring any bells? Well, for those in the computer world, it sure does. On that date, 2004, Firefox came into existence. there is a nice little summary of their evolution on techcrunch. The author loves the browser, and he traces the developments that led to its creation, starting with the rise of the Mozilla browser. Then he details its demise and the elevation of Internet Explorer, concluding with the advent of Firefox. It's compelling history,and interesting to note how much many internet-related things change so very much in such a relatively short period of time. It's also a good luck at the competition amongst the browsers, and an ode to Firefox, a reminded that competition drives innovation in the tech world. And, often, we benefit.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Idea for website
Well, I really couldn't come up with anything for a website. But, awhile ago, two of my best friends and I were drinking, alot, and bantered back and forth about starting our own bar. So, since this is just fantasy, anyway, I figured I'd run with that idea. It leaves room for creativity, since it's in the abstract realm. Plus, it's fun. So, I'm going with the unreal notion that my two friends and I are running a bar.
Monday, November 2, 2009
A Kiva milestone
Had to recognize a milestone for Kiva, as it celebrated quite the achievment recently. They hit the magical $100 million mark. Founded four years ago, Kiva.org “has brought together 573,000 lenders (people like you and me putting in $25 or more towards a specific project), and 239,000 entrepreneurs.” It is a simple, yet brilliant model. In addition, it’s altruistic.
“Kiva creates a personal connection between lenders and recipients. Each entrepreneur has a profile page with a picture and description of what they plan to do with the loan. Then every month you get an update on how much of the loan has been repaid. For instance, I joined other Kiva donors to give this furniture maker in Afghanistan a $1,075 loan a year ago. So far, he’s paid back 61% of the loan without ever missing a payment.” You can also create or join a lending team on Kiva. “Once a loan is repaid, you can plow it back into another loan.” It’s not precisely a charity, but it is much like charitable giving. This is really a genuinely sweet, heart-warming story. It allows people to help themselves, builds innovation, and allows the loaners to feel good, too. It’s truly a win-win for all, and it’s a delightful commentary on humanity that the company has been so successful.
As we approach the Holiday season of giving, if you’re looking for a way to give something back, Kiva is a lovely idea.
“Kiva creates a personal connection between lenders and recipients. Each entrepreneur has a profile page with a picture and description of what they plan to do with the loan. Then every month you get an update on how much of the loan has been repaid. For instance, I joined other Kiva donors to give this furniture maker in Afghanistan a $1,075 loan a year ago. So far, he’s paid back 61% of the loan without ever missing a payment.” You can also create or join a lending team on Kiva. “Once a loan is repaid, you can plow it back into another loan.” It’s not precisely a charity, but it is much like charitable giving. This is really a genuinely sweet, heart-warming story. It allows people to help themselves, builds innovation, and allows the loaners to feel good, too. It’s truly a win-win for all, and it’s a delightful commentary on humanity that the company has been so successful.
As we approach the Holiday season of giving, if you’re looking for a way to give something back, Kiva is a lovely idea.
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