[Theforum] [---Dev] RE: [---tent] Article cleanup issue

Martin Burns martin at easyweb.co.uk
Wed Jul 24 08:36:32 CDT 2002


On Wed, 24 Jul 2002, .jeff wrote:

> ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
> > From: Martin Burns
> >
> > Question: While I can see that "new comments since last
> > visit" is useful, I'm not sure it's what it says on the
> > tin. As a user, I've intuitively associated that with
> > "new comments in the last day", and been annoyed as
> > hell when comments have disappeared off that list when
> > I wanted to go back to them.
> >
> > So my question is - why does this have to be queried on
> > a per-user basis when the main benefit ("See recent
> > comments") isn't user-specific?
> ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
>
> not user specific?  how is it not user specific.  the query is grabbing the number of comments that have been posted since your last login.  how is that not user specific?

The main benefit is "see recent comments" which is not congruent with "see
comments since last you logged in" - I'll still get the most recent
comments without it knowing or caring who I am.

You'd still get that benefit of recent comments without it having to be
on a per-user basis and taking the hit of working it out.

> ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
> > > isn't it making more sense now why it's a bigger issue
> > > to me than others seem to think it should be?
> >
> > Yes. You want it to be *right*. But isn't it also making
> > sense why for many/most people, 'good enough' is good
> > enough?
> ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
>
> i know more about the problem and understand it better to know
> that it just isn't good enough.

But if we're being user-centric (and we *are* being user-centric, right,
IA people?), good enough *is* good enough.

Cheers
Martin

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