[thelist] Effective mailing list email

Rory.Plaire at wahchang.com Rory.Plaire at wahchang.com
Tue Oct 16 12:51:46 CDT 2001


Recalling Joe's honesty,

| Check this out - a nice overview of the issues with 
| communicating
| effectively in the mailing list format with hundreds of people.
| http://www.digital-web.com/tutorials/tutorial_1999-12.shtml

As I hope flames remain unfanned and I recall the policy of metaposting
(posting about posting), I find the outlet for this tip I've been bursting
to share --

<tip type="usability and user context" author="rory">

Reading Lockwood and Constantine (www.foruse.com) for developing a deep
appreciation of the principles of effective interface design and access to a
wealth of experience in applying these principles is a powerful move toward
developing excellence in this craft.

One of the principles is environment context. That is, design the user
interface for the environment. The example given in their book "Software For
Use"
(http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0201924781/conslockltdsoftf/104-2640
615-5160764) is of an industrial setting not being the place for a delicate
interface.

I really didn't get it when I read it. But, yesterday, my cell phone rang
while I had it plugged in.

"Whoa, big deal!" you may think. But, ah, it was set to _vibrate_! The
interface engineers must have considered (through testing perhaps?) that
while the phone is plugged in, most people wouldn't have it on their person!
It knew to ring even though I didn't tell it, "OK, I'm taking you out now,
so I want you to ring, not vibrate..."

I think this is what is meant by "environmental context." It is knowing the
constraints and opportunities afforded by your setting. I have thought of a
slew since, like browser detection, bandwidth detection, language detection,
etc.

Have fun with your own today!
</tip>




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