Re: [ba-ohs-talk] User-centricity and convergence
"Garold (Gary) L. Johnson" wrote: (01)
> Note that part of the problem involved the idiotic "look and feel" lawsuits
> that made it actively dangerous for a developer to use an interface that was
> too similar to another product. Microsoft was a big enough gorilla to make
> that go away. (02)
That was a strange one. Apple argued it had a right to it, and won, when Xerox
tried to protect it. Then Apple turned right around and tried to protect if from (03)
Microsoft. Very strange. (04)
> It is ironic that Microsoft today lags in standards compliance. They still
> believe that whatever they do *is* the standard. (05)
It's more Machiavelian than that. I was at Data General when they were
fairly big and growing, and there is a serious corporate mentality that
prevents adoption of any standard that will result in "sharing the pie". (06)
It's one of the many weaknesses of corporate capitalism. (07)
Capitalism is generally held out as a cooperative venture -- you make
arrowheads and I'll make baskets, where the competition among arrow
makers produces better arrows. (08)
But corporate arrowhead makers get to a point where they can control
the means of production, and choke of competition. Hence the total
necessity for government as a restraint, so that "right competition" is both
identified and enforced. (09)
> The elevation of "ease of use" to the point where it has teeth and where
> usability testing actually happens was indeed innovative.
>
> > It is here that I hold out "ubiquitous ratings" as the one potential to
> give users the "teeth" they need to enforce standards.
>
> Are there any good studies on rating systems? There are several places that
> support comments and reviews (Amazon, epinions, Free Republic), but I
> haven't seen anything concerning the impact of such a system on standards
> acceptance. (010)
I don't know of any studies. But anecdotally, I was just at Amazon where
"Getting things done" produced a couple of entries. One had very bad
reviews, and the one you mentioned had very good reviews. Guess which
I bought? (011)