Written by Byron Alley on May 24, 2009 – 3:12 pm
I was reading an old Clay Shirky blog post, A Group Is Its Own Enemy.
It talks about some of the interesting characteristics of groups (in particular online communities), such as how essentially groups need some kind of government, otherwise they’ll spend all of their time talking about “enemies” or sex or how awesome their values/heroes/etc. [...]
Written by Byron Alley on January 29, 2009 – 4:43 pm
Bottom line? Here are my guidelines for web app design without Uncanny Valleys:
1. Do include features like drag ‘n drop, cut ‘n paste, right-click context menus, etc.
2. Don’t make your user interface look too much like a Windows or Mac application.
3. Do copy some of the common design features of modern apps, like a File/Edit menu where appropriate.
4. Don’t forget it’s a web app, and don’t try to convince the user that it’s not.
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Written by Byron Alley on April 14, 2008 – 4:14 pm
Recently our business has been experimenting with using Google Docs, and we’ve been having some limited success. I’ve noticed there are a lot of articles on the web about Google Docs, and they all seem to either praise the system as a Microsoft Office killer, or imply it’s just a kindergarten toy. So [...]
Written by Byron Alley on July 26, 2007 – 3:38 pm
As I write this, I’m installing Linux.
The funny part about this is that I’m installing Linux on the same computer I’m working on. Using something called a “Live CD” I’m able to actually run Linux, complete with a web browser, while I install the system. This is insanely cool.
I’ve always had a love/hate [...]