Mosshead

bucket testing

Bucket testing refers to testing a new feature, design or functionality on a small user base before launching it with the entire user base. For example, I participated in Amazon’s bucket testing of using an ajaxified tooltip widget on their book images for affiliate programs.

references:

• Luke W. at Functioning Form
• pushbutton

Add comment December 26th, 2006

desktop prototyping

Fab @ home is a set of plans and wiki support for building your very own desktop prototyper. If you have friends with one, you could essentially send them a 3-d model of your latest invention.
I haven’t made one yet, but it’s in the queue - I’m thinking maybe it’s a good toy for my brother who designs furniture. He could use it to build models of new designs. If I had time to volunteer for the software project - I’d write an export for sketchup, my new favorite 3d software (and it’s free!).
For other prototyping supplies, Spark Fun has much of what you need for electronic prototypes.

Add comment December 20th, 2006

collaborative knowledge networks

This is an interesting project hosted by MIT to study how collaborative networks develop and function. Maybe I’ll order the book for myself after christmas
http://www.ickn.org/

Add comment December 19th, 2006

a sour taste

badmouth: “to speak unfavorably”

defamation:

• a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone’s words or actions
• aspersion: an abusive attack on a person’s character or good name

I once had a friend who was in the habit of badmouthing people. Maybe it was the irresistable entertainment value, maybe he really couldn’t think of any other way to carry on a conversation. But one day I called to invite him to dinner and his voice had that special quaver it would acquire when unexpectedly interacting with the subject of a badmouthing rant. I never called him again, he never called me and that was the end of that!

The problem with badmouthing is that it becomes a habit of communication. The shock value becomes a comfort zone, a lazy communicator’s easy route to finding common ground with people they’re not comfortable getting to know. It’s a lack of creativity, an amateur comic’s cheap joke, an interaction devoid of any real content or meaning. It’s a false common ground.

So, why am I thinking about this today? Well, because I was badmouthed by someone I hardly knew … with whom the few conversations I’d had consisted of me listening to her. She was angry because I had done free speculative work for her and her husband’s business and when the requirements of their project kept changing and we couldn’t agree upon a contract I took it as an opportunity to decline further commitment to their project.

I don’t know, maybe badmouthing is a boomer thing. Kind like suing people is kind of a boomer thing. Boy is she lucky I’m not a boomer.

Add comment December 4th, 2006