So I have been dropped from Planet Lisp, scarcely two months after being added. I wonder if that’s a record of some kind? Apparently, the maintainer found my tone too didactic and my knowledge too lacking. Fair criticisms both, but I meant no harm. I’m certainly not trying to set myself up as a Lisp…
Apple’s new Dashboard Widgets bother me. Not in a usability sense — they look quite useful, especially if they can be brought in and out of view quickly. What bothers me is that every widget looks completely different. Reading about user interfaces, the one clear mantra appears to be “consistency, consistency, consistency.” The Dashboard has…
The just-released Dabble DB is, to my mind, one of the most innovative pieces of software since the spreadsheet. It’s a relational database that can figure out your data relations for you. It’s a spreadsheet that can run structured queries on your data. It’s an on-line calendar with RSS feeds. It’s a web form processor…
A desktop that actually behaves like a real desk. I don’t know if I’d want to use it all day, but it sure looks like fun.
It’s great to be here, even if I am a little intimidated by the company. I’ll try to keep my writing interesting.
Microsoft Office 12 will feature a new interface called the ribbon. I’m not usually a fan of Microsoft interfaces, but this one shows some potential. Office’s hierarchical menus are definitely overloaded, and “Task Panes” are clunky. Moving controls that were formally buried in modal dialogs out into the ribbon should also make working with the…
In looking around the offices where I have worked, I see innumerable places where existing technology could be leveraged to expedite, simplify, or otherwise enhance day-to-day workflow. Things could happen faster, cheaper, with fewer staff. So why isn’t this done? I think there are two fundamental problems: The first is the disconnect between the potential…
The beginning of a new web site. A new design (forthcoming), a new focus (soon to be apparent), and new software (WordPress).