Recursive

Category: Musings

  • Form Validation Errors – don’t embarrass your users

    Form Validation Errors – don’t embarrass your users

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    Does it seem fair to scold the user for the errors they make while filling in a form? Are they even “errors”? The term “Error” and the usual associated red colouring is remarkably negative. Almost like accusing the user of spilling blood by making a typo or misunderstanding a field’s intended purpose. Okay, perhaps that’s…

  • Catharsis – the release of frustration or a dangerous trap?

    Catharsis – the release of frustration or a dangerous trap?

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    How many times have you complained about something and felt better afterwards? At least once a week probably. A problem shared is a problem halved, right?

  • The NatWest Card Reader, part deux (I didn’t change banks)

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    My last post on the subject (a fraction over 10 years ago!) garnered a lot of comments for what was essentially just a rant, and it turned out to be somewhat unfounded and sensationalistic. I’m still with NatWest, their online banking is still very good and their app is the best, and I’ve rarely had to…

  • 10/GUI

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    10gui.com This is as much an HCI concept as it is about the GUI. I think a multitouch pad would be great. 5 fingers, i.e. one hand, would be plenty though, and having one hand remaining on the keyboard allows for faster resumption of typing long text. My HTPC keyboard already has a simple multi-touch…

  • Leaving Bitopia

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    Prior to the big move, I’m leaving my current job at Bitopia at the end of the week. Last Friday, all the staff went to watch Saints beat  Castleford Tigers. At the end of the evening I was surprised and honoured to be presented with a personalised and autographed Saints shirt by Paul Sculthorpe. I’d…

  • Recommended: iammoving.com

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    iammoving.com was recommended to me by the estate agent who advertised the house we’re moving to in August. After registering, for free (though I would pay for the service), you select the organisations you need to notify from a large, categorised list, and provide your account number (or whatever detail is appropriate). You can then…

  • RAC

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    The RAC have impressed me. Whilst driving to my fiancée’s parents’ at the end of last week, the car conked out (while on the M6 Toll). Fortunately, the power simply seemed to dissipate rather than instantly disappear, so I was easily able to slow to stop by an SOS box. I have a mobile phone…

  • BT (Bastards Telepunish) Woes

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    My ISP, BT, have got my goat again. They’re punishing me by crippling my (already joke-worthy) download speeds, because I used a lot last week. So they’ll probably charge me for that (fair enough, I suppose). I understand that they need to provide a fair service to all their customers, but why does that have…

  • Firefox 3 to break Zoom (Edit: I’m mistaken)

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    Mozilla is about the make a big mistake, the same as that made by IE7. Zooming the whole page is not a good idea. Current Firefox text-only zoom on the left, IE7 on the right. Using the current Fx way you can easily read the text without having to scroll sideways, but the new way…

  • Automatically Added Start Menu / Desktop Icons

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    I have just allowed Adobe (Acrobat) Reader to update itself, fair enough, though it is still remarkably slow to load on first use. I keep a clean desktop, with shortcuts only for the things I use on a regular basis (at least daily). I keep my Start Menu under control (am still using XP). I…