Web — Page 32

Jakob Nielsen has

July 24, 2000 by Michael Boyle

published a new Alertbox article, “End of Web Design.” He writes, “Users spend most of their time on other sites. This means that users prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know.”

No it doesn’t. It means that although each of the sites are different, users don’t mind your particular differences that much, really, and if you keep doing a good job of serving them, you’ll succeed. More – maybe it means that because the sites are different they are successful, because people like diversity, especially when reading or shopping, two things the web is used for extensively.

Joel Spolsky has

July 24, 2000 by Michael Boyle

a weblog called Joel on Software. He wrote a really good analysis of the Microsoft .NET stuff the other day entitled Microsoft Goes Bonkers. He’s right too – there’s no there there with dotNET. I would only add that the big problem is not a technological one, it’s cultural. That’s why I like Deepleap and sites like it. Companies like Deepleap are addressing the central question of how people will use the web in a more fundamental way than most others – it’s not about information, it’s about relationships. [link via calebos.org]

I know the guys

July 21, 2000 by Michael Boyle

who developed the original website for the Journal de Montreal. The publisher shut it down today.

The Canadian pricing

July 21, 2000 by Michael Boyle

for the Cube is out now, and I think it’s a little too dear for me. More so because I am trying to save and invest, not spend at the moment. Plus, I don’t think I could give up my dual-monitor setup, which I can get with a low-end G4 Pro and still have it come out cheaper than the Cube. Plus a SCSI card so I can use my crappy old scanner (it’s good enough for occasional web stuff) and whatnot, and doubtless save on a SCSI CD-RW as opposed to a firewire or USB model.

If it seems like I’m obsessing, maybe that’s cause I am. I’m not a huge tech-head, but, for me, the Cube is very very cool. Alas, it’s not for me.

OK, before I get going

July 18, 2000 by Michael Boyle

to work this morning, I just came across the strangest thing on the Macwarehouse Canada site. A little deconstruction is in order.

Apple Canada’s current e-commerce regulations prohibit any Apple authorized reseller to sell Apple product on-line through the Internet. As a strategic partner of Apple Canada, we support that position and will continue to follow their strategy.
This might as well read, “OK, Apple just fucked us, but we’re gonna suck up anyhow cause we’re getting rich off catalog sales.”
Micro Warehouse has decided that this restriction should not be a factor in collecting important information from our customers.
“We still want to invade your privacy though kids, so we’re going to datamine you for all you’re worth, which frankly might not be much but hey, this is e-commerce, baby!”
We have developed the following program that supports Apple Canada’s e-commerce strategy and benefits the customer.
“We have developed the following BS so we can nominally support their screwed-up policy while selling you, dear customer, down the river.”
A value add feature has been added to all Apple product on our website.
“Look at how great we are at using pass buzzwords like ‘value add’! Boy are we ever smart! We can suck up to Apple AND trash their policies in one fell swoop!”