5-Aug-02

Toying With Musical Instruments [Follow Me Here...] comment [] 5:04:30 PM | permalink

U.S. Planes Strike Iraqi Facility (washingtonpost.com) via: Drudge Report comment [] 3:54:06 PM | permalink

FarrFeed: "For some reason I feel like announcing this in FarrFeed. I underwent a minor sort of metamorphosis in the course of writing this week's Web column, nothing I can really explain yet, but it ain't bad. Something's expanded. There's a touch of grace involved, perhaps. Maybe it's the medicine stick image I used as column filler:" comment [] 3:15:15 PM | permalink

Henry Kissinger. "Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation." [Quotes of the Day] comment [] 3:09:33 PM | permalink

VeryModern Astrology: "One of the things about dating Gemini is they look around a lot on a date. This is while you are talking I mean. Don't be confused, they are looking for someone more interesting than you are. " comment [] 3:03:29 PM | permalink

Caveat Lector: Mensis Julii 2002 Archives: "So blogging becomes less a spontaneous expression of the self than yet one more demand on one's time. Sad. And, in my opinion, unnecessary." comment [] 2:54:58 PM | permalink

Salon.com News | Joe Conason's Journal: "A Time investigation says the Bush administration ignored Clinton plans to stop al-Qaida. The White House denies the report -- but its credibility on the subject is poor." comment [] 2:49:52 PM | permalink

Why we don't read manuals. This excellent article by Caroline E. Mayer (Washington Post) nails this important question. There are several thoughtful, and painful to read, quotes in the article. The candid comments include "it's too time consuming", "[manuals] make you feel stupid" and the on-target "... because they're horribly written." Ouch. But listen up, these customers are doing those of us in the industry a favor, if only we're willing to listen. Fact is, much of what is being said we already know. Write minimally, so instructions don't add unnecessary complexity and time to a task. Use user-centered tasks and terminology so that information can be easily located. Emphasis troubleshooting, since that's when most people turn to the manual. As for the "quick start" documentation mentioned in the article, that's a great idea, but too often such pieces are so simplistic that they reinforce the notion that you won't learn anything you don't already know, so don't bother looking. [Usable Help] comment [] 2:46:08 PM | permalink

moxie.nu | blog: "I have a little secret to let you all in on, if you promise not to tell those farmer folks. I've been responsible for many of the crop circles found since 1985." comment [] 2:35:21 PM | permalink

Log Cabin Chronicles Jim Austin's Iraqnaphobia column: "This bunch in Washington will obviously say just about anything to justify their under-the-public-radar policies. Does this administration even remember the last time a President lied in order to involve us in a war?" comment [] 2:22:37 PM | permalink

Friendly fire deaths linked to US pilots 'on speed' American pilots in Afghanistan, blamed for a series of "friendly fire" incidents and devastating erroneous attacks on innocent civilians, were routinely provided with amphetamines to tackle fatigue and help them fly longer hours. Pilots were allowed to "self-regulate" their own doses and kept the drugs in their cockpits. Thanks to Bourque NewsWatch comment [] 9:14:46 AM | permalink