Confusability

How Nerdy?

I am quite nerdy.

Found via Stephen Luttrell.

And here is my advanced nerd score:

I don't think I'm really that nerdy.

Disorderly by Design

What do these three things have in common?

• The Trap
• A Perfect Mess
• The Agile Manifesto

They are all part of the undeclared war against Taylorism and it's allies. Rather than worrying about how we can Get Things Done more efficiently we should be slowing down and making some space in our lives to allow magic things to happen.

It's not revolutionary, it's not even a movement, but it could be a bump on the road that helps wake us up.

Favorite search requests for 1Q2007

Inspired by Adam Greenfeld

The following strings were used to find pages on usabilityviews.com during the first three months of this year. Comments have been appended.

- avoid the mouse
use a keyboard

- the war of the ghosts
searching for false memories

- history of the applause
the sound of two hands clapping

- computer can be best friend
woof woof

- create one leg table
it's called a bird table

- dylexic
oops

- how long is too long to wait for a website to load
one mississippi, two mississippi, three mississippi, four mississippi

- what is the internet used for
answering silly questions

- computers versus humans
2 - 1

- wise people admit their mistakes easily
yes no

- why is that thing beeping
because you haven't taken the battery out

YouTube circa 1944 - Calling Blighty

Calling Blighty

Bill: Cheers mate. Well, my dear, hope both you and the baby are in good health, as I am, pretty fit.
Remember me to them all at home…just longing to get home.
I’d like a bit more mail, though…

Play video

One of the ‘Calling Blighty’ series of films made by the Army Film Unit in India to provide visual messages from British Armed Service personnel to their relatives and friends back home. This one was shown at the Classic Cinema, Southampton on 30 April 1944 for an invited audience.

Time...

Time heals nothing. It merely re-arranges our memory.

What not to do today

Thing's you shouldn't do on New Years Day:

• Don’t wear shoes which have a hole in them or financial problems will stay with you the whole year long.
• Don’t wear new clothes on this day.
• Don’t sweep the floor, else you’ll sweep a friend away.
• Don’t do any washing, as throwing out water on this day is considered unlucky.
• Don’t remove the ashes from the fire or take a burning ember from one house to another.
• Don’t let the fire go out.
• Don't make any money deals as money made on New Years Day will only bring bad luck
• Don’t carry any debts over into the New Year.
• Don’t pay out any money on the first Monday of the New Year.
• Don't poke a neighbours fire.

Have a fulfilling 2007

Electronic Echoes and Angels

For the past few years I have been visiting Leslie Harpold's Advent Calendar.

I was a bit upset when I saw that the days had stopped being "opened" up last week, but today I found out that Leslie had died and no more doors would ever be opening on her advent calendar.

Thank You Leslie

Think of "The IT Crowd" as a British live action version of Dilbert

It's good to laugh at yourself sometimes. After watching the first two episodes of "The IT Crowd" last night I decided to make time to watch it again next week.

This sitcom follows the lives of three employees in the IT support department of a company run by a maniacal character played by the anarchic Chris Morris.

There were some great geeky touches like the o'reilly animals on the wall, the RTFM t-shirt as well as the posters promoting open source and fair use.

However, I do think that some of the characterisation may be over the top. There was a scene where "Moss" had his amazon books delivered to his desk. He had ordered both the adult and children's versions of the latest Harry Potter book so that he could compare the texts to make sure that they weren't different. Now who would be pedantic enough to do something like that?

You can watch the episodes online and get some useful links from the website.

Remember how exciting the world was when you were eight!

Jenna will be 8 on September 30th and Unca Rage wants it to be her best birtday ever.

When I was eight I still believed in magic, so why not join me and help make this a birthday that Jenna will never forget.

All you have to do is send her something from her amazon wish list.

I try and make sure I do one nice thing every decade so this covers me until 2015.

Isidore of Seville: parton saint of the Internet

4th April is the birthday of Saint Isidore of Seville, the proposed parton saint of the Internet.

Isidore's most important work was his encyclopedia, the Etymologiae. The work takes its title from the method he used in the transcription of his time's knowledge. The encyclopedia as a whole was a huge compilation in 448 chapters, devoted to transmitting a condensed epitome of the learning of antiquity. The depository of classical culture in Isidore's compendium was so highly regarded that in a great measure it superseded the use of the individual works of the classics themselves, and many were not recopied and are lost. The book not only was the most popular compendia in medieval libraries but was printed in at least 10 editions between 1470 and 1530, showing Isidore's continued popularity in the Renaissance. Until the 12th century brought translations from Arabic sources, Isidore transmitted what western Europeans remembered of the works of Aristotle and other Greeks, although he couldn't understand Greek further than single words. This work was much copied, particularly in the medieval bestiary.

IO Brush

Photographs by Dave Bradley

From Technology Review : The Art of Interfaces

The MIT Media Lab, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, is developing new user interfaces that are both artistic and functional. It’s research with a focus: says Hiroshi Ishii of the Tangible Media group, “We want to make information graspable.”

The Cutest Gifts in the world

Finding it hard to track down that cute gift?

You should take a look at Cute Box, a new site launched by Yvette Hyland. I can heartily recommend this site and can assure you that I receive no payment from cutebox.co.uk The tagline "For gifts that make you smile" may sound a bit cheesy but they really do make you smile! Yvette has done an excellent job launching this site in time for Christmas, so show your support and order that special christmas gift that will make someone smile. Good luck Yvette.

Chicken World is my favourite at the moment because it reflects the world we live in.

Harry Potter is a Chalet-School Girl

When the Middle Class ruled the Earth

"Statistics show that you're most likely to get your own story in a girls' comic if you're a sporty, disabled, artistic Victorian orphan who lives with a violent aunt or uncle, having a hurt sister/brother/pet who you need to earn money for, but don't realise that your best friend secretly resents you, the snobs are plotting against you, and an evil mastermind is attempting to take over your school and you're the only one who can resist her powers. However, this will count for nothing if your name doesn't lend itself to a clever titular pun."

What really happens at the BBC?

BBC Work Experience

Piwacy is a cwime!

They were wubbish, they were shaky, out of focus, camewawork was bad, they had muffled sound
Jonathan Ross on pirate DVDs

It has come to my attention that tax proceeds from Pirate DVD's have been used to buy weapons for so called elected leaders to use on smaller countries.

Here is evidence of the infamous Captain Blood handing over the proceeds of DVD sales of his biography whilst an official tax collector looks on.

Do your bit and refuse to buy the products shown below:

I've been very naughty...

and just ordered a new PC as my current one is past it's best, at almost four years of age.

Jason was a bit upset, but I'm sure he'll get over it.

Gone fishing

Off to St Ives for a weeks R & R.

Lemming Contre Nature

Bloglines Addiction

Bloglines Cold Turkey

Working In My Dreams

Two-thirds of those questioned in BT's survey said they would be happier and more relaxed if they could choose where they did their work.

The BBC new item Office workers want to break free which reports on a BT survey states that Only 4% said they would be happy to work at home in bed. Well I think the real figure is much much higher. I would definitely like to work in my dreams and then have all of my waking hours free for useful pastimes, although it probably wouldn't result in BT making more money from high speed telephony links.

Spacehopper Sadness

Ivan "I nevver dunnit" Dobsky from Monkey Dust has spoilt my childhood memories of my beloved spacehopper.

The Monopolisation of Monopoly

Monopoly has sold over 20 million copies since its invention in 1933, but it’s a little known fact that the game was originally designed by an American Quaker called Lizzie Maggie, who patented The Landlord’s Game in 1904.

Listen to the item on Woman's Hour from 29 Dec 2003.

If you want to find out more then why not take a look at this site entitled Who Invented Monopoly.

Ahhh, would Father McEvoy be an imaginary priest then Ted?

In the interest of putting the record straight I would like to say that the Father McEvoy that is listed as an imaginary priest from a Father Ted episode is actually my uncle, and he is a real priest.

Advent Calendar

My Chrismas Holiday officially starts today. I won't have to go back to work until the 5th January 2004.

Advent Calendar 2003 by Leslie Harpold

From the 5th

What Martha Won't Tell You

Tired of having some soon to be convicted felon telling you that with a thousand hours labor and a thousand dollars investment, you too can fill your home with Holiday cheer? Me too! There are lots of ways to pretty up the house for the holidays without taking out a second mortgage. I've always contended I could decorate any house for Christmas (inside) for less than thirty dollars, and I stand by my claim. Here are some tips for making your champagne wishes come true on a six pack budget. ...more...

Oh, and can you find the punk reindeer in the snowglobe?

La Dolce Vita

Off to Rome for a week on Monday.

See you later.

Why not read this article by John Rhodes on the Usability of Italy.

The Last Flight of Concorde

This photo was given to me as a present when I was very very young. I live in Bristol (Concorde was built in Filton) and have always felt that Concorde is a landmark from my childhood.

I feel quite sad that she won't be flying again.

I wonder if we are turning our backs on innovation and giving up on challenges we've yet to encounter just to minimise some theoretical risk, increase profits and avoid litigation.

Revenge Is Sweet

Ian recently linked to a less than flattering photo of me.

I am more than happy to return the favour.

Ian Lloyd

Alter-Egos

After a few years of wandering the highways and byways of the net, you start to feel attachments to familiar landmarks and natural features on the datascape.

I always like to keep an eye on my namesakes, and have watched their google signatures change over the years.

I have started to think of these people as my alter-egos or alternate lives from some Elric inspired multiverse.

I think I now understand my origin story.

Chris McEvoy is a rabble rousing programmer who has a special interest in usability in all its guises

I was formed by a quantum collision between these two characters:

Chris McEvoy : Well placed to provide practical hands-on assistance to SME organisations in order to generate long term growth and prosperity.

AND

Chris McEvoy : The vaguely alcoholic cynic as comedian

Holiday

I am on Holiday in Sorrento in Italy.

You may spot me on this webcam.