Author: Steven Garrity

The Viacom Music Video Awards

by Steven Garrity

I know criticism is easy but that doesn’t mean you can’t be particularly good at it. Jeff Stark, the associate editor of Salon Arts and Entertainment, is very good at it.

Read his article Rock is dead and well at the MTV;; Video Awards at Salon. Sure, criticizing the MTV;; VMAs for being low class and artless is kind of like criticizing *Nsync for pandering to teenage girls, but this is still a fun article.

A representative sample (italics mine):

Durst of Limp Bizkit (do not follow this link) said something about being in “the world’s most hated rock band.” This is the same lame outlaw posturing Metallica specializes in. How unpopular can you be, Fred, if you’re up onstage getting an award from Viacom?

 

sites that do what we do, only better

by Steven Garrity
* k10k.net is down this week (Sept 3 – 10) but it will be up again on Sept 11, 2000
 

The Internet fried my brain

by Steven Garrity

I remember reading an article about how the web and hyperlinks were going to change the way children thought. At the time I dismissed it as mumbo-jumbo about non-linear thought patterns and other such nonsense. I fear the hypothesis have been proven true in myself.

Sitting in an evening university class (a place which is both foreign and familiar to me), I found myself constantly wanting the professor to move on. I found myself ‘skimming’ the lecture and was incredibly frustrated when I couldn’t control the movement from topic to topic.

Clearly, part of the problem is my inability to interact with people who don’t exist on my computer. However, I think this points to a clear conclusion: The Internet has fried my brain.

 

is ‘The Man’ designing your operating system?

by Steven Garrity

From Jakob Neilsen‘s Alertbox column on Regulatory Usability at useit.com:

“I don’t like the Government telling Microsoft to make their software even worse by preventing them from integrating features into the operating system. I also don’t like the notion of user interfaces designed by the Justice Department.”

I don’t like Microsoft‘s bully tactics any more than the next guy (NOTE: I love Notepad), but I definitely agree with Jakob on this one.

 

I can’t buy it if I don’t know what it is

by Steven Garrity

Despite being an unfortunate Amazon.com rip-off (and we all know how much I hate rip-offs) Startech, a computer accessory manufacturer, has an exemplary website in terms simplicity, product information, and something which is often overlooked, high quality, hi-res, kick-ass product photography.

Earth to other e-commerce sites: I’ve never seen product shots this good. It doesn’t cost much to get a decent digital camera folks. Especially after you’ve spent hundreds of thousands on your website and millions on marketing. I can’t buy it if I don’t know what it is.

They have actual customer service and very handy product finding wizards. You can’t order directly, but my local reseller is just down the street.

When it comes to useful product info on e-commerce sites, some big players just don’t get it. Check out this laughable details page for a similar product at OnVia.

 

shampoo instructions and other such nonsense

by Steven Garrity

for dumb kidsAs a token of the recent anniversary of my birth, a very cool person bought me ‘soft foam’ toy planes*. The planes are very cool and can easily achieve the advertised 10 meter + flight distance. What struck me as odd was the included illustrated instruction sheet that you see here.

Also included where the helpful instructions “Please retain this section for future reference”. I guess that’s for when I find the planes in my basement in 6 years and forget how to use them.

Shelcore, the company which produces the planes, advertises their website on the packaging. I’m not sure this is wise. You be the judge.

* I am not a child.