I also have Active Words running (this saves me time in doing tasks on my PC and keeps me from using the mouse). And I just got a cool little knowledge-management program called Atomica too. Type in something you're wondering about and it usually has an answer. Sorta like a dictionary crossed with an encyclopedia. Now that I have a gigahertz processor with an OS that doesn't crash, we might as well have some fun, no? [Scobleizer]

While we seem to be evolving toward a richer model of the technological environment that we surround ourselves with, I don't see many discussions of how it shows up in practice. Here's a hint at how one person is doing it.

10:04:23 PM •  • comment  

Useit.Com: Poor Code Quality Contaminates Users' Conceptual Models. Software bugs and system crashes result in huge productivity losses and undermine users' ability to form good models of how computers work. Website designers can help improve user confidence by prioritizing quality and robustness over features and the latest technology. [Tomalak's Realm]

Haven't been paying much attention to Jakob Nielsen lately. A shift in my priorities I suppose. I don't think that designers have paid enough attention to helping users develop good conceptual models of the software they use. Of course, that would start with developing software that was grounded in a robust conceptual model to begin with.

10:01:37 PM •  • comment  

NY Times: From August 5, 1999; Forgot a Password? Try 'Way2Many' [Tomalak's Realm]

A nice overview piece on the problems of multiple passwords brought on by today's world. An implicit argument for why passwords, despite their prevalence, are a pretty weak tool for controlling access to computer resources.

9:59:52 PM •  • comment  

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An update on the current slow state of business in the consulting arena. Coverage of DiamondCluster, Accenture, and others

9:58:35 PM •  • comment  

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A quick update on the current state of the world at Scient.

9:57:51 PM •  • comment  

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Helpful collection of pointers to the various software vendors developing products that aim/claim to help automate the categorization and classification challenges in large-scale KM systems. I was hoping for a bit more insight into what those problems actually were and why I should be thinking about a software solution to them.

9:54:46 PM •  • comment