Re: Putting requirements on volunteer tool developers (Was: Re: Daily Dose version 2 launched)

[Dave Crocker <dhc2 at dcrocker.net>]

michael.dillon at bt.com wrote:
> But given the number of messages to the list suggesting changes
> and fixes, I thought it was reasonable to point out that there is
> a better way, and it is documented here
> <http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20000319.html>
> and it is not expensive to do either in money terms or in terms
> of time spent.

This is a lovely reference.  It touts very small, incremental usability testing.

In the mid-70's, the popular email user agent, MSG, had the "Answer" command. 
 When working on a new user agent for Unix -- it was a predecessor to MH -- I 
decided that that probably wasn't the right word to use for a general audience 
and wanted one that was natural them.  I went up to a few secretaries -- hmmm, 
probably 5... -- and asked them something like "Someone sends you a message. 
You want to send a message back to them.  This means you ____ to them."  Every 
secretary immediately said Reply -- and frankly were a bit irritated, since 
they thought the answer (pun?) was so obvious -- so that was the command name 
I used.

Took about 30 minutes, mostly because I had to walk around to get to the 
secretaries.

d/
--

  Dave Crocker
  Brandenburg InternetWorking
  bbiw.net

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