One of my earliest UX wins was for Mac System 7. The Finder team wanted to truncate files names with '…' if it wouldn’t fit. I argued that too much critical info would be lost and suggested it be in the middle instead. The Finder team loved it and implemented it later that day. They were so easy to work with.
I'd totally forgotten about it until I overheard someone commenting it was an example of Apple's attention to detail. I'd didn't say anything at the time but yeah, that was me ;-)
Whenever I explain my #research at Google into mobile text editing, I'm usually met with blank stares or a slightly hostile "Everyone can edit text on their phones, right? What's the problem?"
Text editing on mobile isn't ok. It's actually much worse than you think, an invisible problem no one appreciates. I wrote this post so you can understand why it's so important.
https://jenson.org/text
#UXDesign #UX
Time for my #introduction. I've been in #UXDesign for 40 years, working at Apple in the 80s, Symbian, Google, and frogdesign.
I'm convinced we're stuck in our #UX ways, not seeing desktop, mobile, or ML for what they could be.
#OpenSource is a profoundly positive force, if we could just figure out how to work together on #UXDesign problems.
I'm semi-retired, looking for ways to push things forward as well as give back.
People have brought up IP but that shouldn't be logged either. The point is to do this in a squeaky clean manner, with the source code inspectable so the process is safe, transparent, and verifiable.
But too many projects would never consider this from fear of the rabble hoards coming after them.
This needs to be possible, it's how you get better UX.
By reframing this as "site stats" and not user stats, I hope we can move forward. If there are zero stats "of any kind" about the user collected, maybe we could do this without freaking out?
If there are some hidden user stats collected, then we should remove them. The point is to figure out how to do this safely, not assume it can never be done.
To improve the account creation process of any FOSS tool would require simple data collection about where they drop out during the sign up process. There is no account for this so there is nothing to log that is attached to a person.
Yet.... Most FOSS people are adamant that this data should not be collected. Why? There is zero personal info. It's meant to help the project.
Is the reluctance basically a "slippery slope"? E.g. never give an inch?
People have brought up IP but that shouldn't be logged either. The point is to do this in a squeaky clean manner, with the source code inspectable so the process is safe, transparent, and verifiable.
But too many projects would never consider this from fear of the rabble hoards coming after them.
This needs to be possible, it's how you get better UX.
To improve the account creation process of any FOSS tool would require simple data collection about where they drop out during the sign up process. There is no account for this so there is nothing to log that is attached to a person.
Yet.... Most FOSS people are adamant that this data should not be collected. Why? There is zero personal info. It's meant to help the project.
Is the reluctance basically a "slippery slope"? E.g. never give an inch?
RE: https://mastodon.online/@mastodonmigration/115937101960287352
Exactly. Pointing out that #Bluesky isn't practically decentralized yet is not a critique, it's a statement of the work they need to do. (and I wish them luck!)
Mastodon has its own demons to slay. No one is perfect here! We're just talking about how things should improve. I so don't want us to form a circular firing squad. We can all win.
@quillmatiq@mastodon.social @mike@thecanadian.social @mmasnick@mastodon.social
Feel like whenever this discussion is joined people start talking past each other.
It may be the case that the ATmosphere can be decentralized. And there may be small scale projects which test this potentiality. But the fact remains that it remains highly centralized.
Rob Ricci @ricci@discuss.systems has developed a metric to address this matter
https://arewedecentralizedyet.online/
The purpose is not to dump on #Bluesky, but rather to establish meaningful context for these discussions.
There was a recent poll here about what Desktop OS you use and Linux was the most popular answer. This proves this community is far more technical than your average consumer.
I'm not critical of that, I'm just saying we need to appreciate we aren't representative of that vast majority of people out there. I can't even get "normies" to consider joining the fediverse.
I don't want to "chase numbers" I want my family members to be safe but we're doing a terrible job attracting them.
People tend to see the worst:
In 1963, the USPS launched ZIP Codes and 2 letter state abbreviations, sparking huge backlash. Conservatives called it a step toward a "communist" style of government reducing people down to numbers.
These changes were made to accommodate the limitations of IBM mainframes at the time, which could only handle 23 chars for city, state, & zip code.
But it wasn't a communist plot! Navigating change is hard
https://www.historyassociates.com/usps-history/
My Ubuntu Summit talk is up! Where I talk about:
1. How Desktop UX is effectively dead
2. Why I hate the term UX/UI with the heat of 1000 suns
3. How OSS can actually innovate in #ux
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fZTOjd_bOQ
Have you ever participated in a poll from @evan@cosocial.ca ?
We need to talk more about reducing "tone policing" here. I understand you want people to use content warnings, but guess what? They don't have to! If they don't do it, just unfollow them.
But please, don't harass them. That's what drove away our last big wave.
Do whatever you need to feel safe, but harassing people to your standards doesn't make THEM feel safe. Stop it.
#Mastodon trust and safety people, I need your help
I'm trying to understand how "Quiet Public" is used. In nearly every UX discussion I have with people the vast majority not only don't understand it, but it actively confuses them.
That doesn't mean we shouldn't have it, but I would like people to at least know WHY we have this. Given you can already opt out of search results w/ a setting, why you wouldn't just use "Followers only" instead?
Scott Jenson