Weekend 'splash'

Took my car to the carwash yesterday for the first time in 4 months to wash off months of mud, dirt, snow sludge and salt. Then looked for the first big mud puddle I could find and ....... drove straight through it!

....grin....

Social Media

I've been blogging for several years now. But, just personal stuff, for Friends & Family so to say and avoiding anything having to do with work. I've had a LinkedIn profile and Twitter account but didn't do much with those.

After hearing some stories about using Social Media to extend your professional life though, I got intrigued. So I turned to my 'social network' for some tips on how to use social Media. Lo and behold, the first thing that popped up was a re-tweet from John Head. One of the people I met while on the Redbook team and one of the most active bloggers/tweeters I know. The tweet linked to an interview he did for a local radio station in Chicago, explaining what using Social Media did for him. Good stuff if you're interested in blogging, twitter and other social media so I've included the broadcast below:

Quote: Can social media really build your bottom line? Yes, it can! Find out how using social media, John Head, a Chicago consultant, landed $500,000 in business with a single blog post and a single tweet. Not only will he share his story, he'll share a few tips that anyone can use to build their online image, reputation and bottom line. Join host Robin Walker, Chicago based image consultant for news you can use to tailor your style into what you want it to be.

The actual interview starts at approximately 7:25min

Usability

Wikipedia has a nice definition when it comes to 'usability' in relation to computer science:

"the elegance and clarity with which the interaction with a computer program or a web site is designed"

A very, very important part of designing applications and websites and at the same time also one of the most difficult things to achieve. People often think that coming up with the technical stuff, the way things work, is what makes designing so difficult. Partly it is, but I think the real hard work is in making things work in a way that is both logical and intuitive to the user as well as technically advanced. Face it, the best applications aren't necessarily the ones that are technically the most advanced or best looking. No, the real winners are those that the user likes to use, and what a user likes to use is often something simple. Something he can understand.

So why is it so hard? Well because developers like to be advanced, they like to offer everything they've got and most importantly they think differently. A developer is used to solving puzzles all day long. "How am going to do that while x and y and z........" or "Mmm....changing this influences v which in turn causes w". They've got complicated Functional Designs to adhere too and existing code that needs to be incorporated and they are used to working in lots of different environments. In doing so they quickly learn not to think 'ordinary'. In fact the best trade a good developer could have is to think 'outside-the-box'!

The problem is that normal users are not trained like that. For them an application sometimes is nothing more than a brightly coloured screen with lots of information and buttons. Understanding what that information is there for and how clicking the buttons will cause the application to work, is often a big mystery to them. Especially users that are not used to working with computers.

Most users tend to think in very distinct patterns. They like actions and buttons they recognize from other applications or settings and expect them to do more or less the same. So clicking the "Exit" button should result in closing the application, stopping any actions going on and maybe saving anything still open. If an "Exit" button starts doing other things, like showing the user a popup congratulating him with his birthday, you would get really confused users and they would lose trust in your application pretty soon.

Sounds logical you think? Well you'd say so.....

About a year ago I was in session where a developer of a large International company presented a prototype of some new functionality in an application. While going through a Wizzard like set of screens I suddenly noticed something. At the bottom of the screen two buttons were located. "PREVIOUS" and "NEXT". Nothing wrong there you think?

	You don't see it? Let me explain with a second picture:

Do you see it now? 

Now this example is an obvious one but building a usable and intuitive application is really hard work. A great book on website usability is "Don't make me think" by Steve Krug. Not only is it really informative it's also really funny if you're a developer yourself. You'll start recognizing the pitfalls you've stepped in yourself (Yes, I'm absolutely talking about myself here). Check it out, it's certainly worth it!

p.s. By looking up his site for this post I found out Steve Krug wrote a second one called "rocket surgery made easy" on how to do usability testing yourself. I ordered it immediatly!

Lotussphere 2010

So OK, I've already mentioned Lotusphere 2010 was the inspiration for this weblog so the logical first blog would of course be on..... Lotusphere 2010!

What can I tell you, my mind is still trying to find it's way back to earth after being in the 'cloud' for a week. As a complete Lotusphere newbie I didn't really know what to expect. Yes of course, I knew it was the greatest event out there when it comes to IBM's Lotus brand, and that there would be a lot of people there ..... but even then it was a completely new experience to me. The great atmosphere, the excitment and the effect of being with so many people who think alike (yellow!).

I had discussed going to Lotusphere the year before as part of my educational plan. Still, with the recession going on, falling profits and the fact that I had the unexpected but great opportunity to be on a Redbook team for three weeks out in Boston in March, meant I didn't really count on my company still allowing me to go.

Imagine my surprise, when late one night in November I received a confirmation email from IBM thanking me for entering a LS session proposal.... Wait a moment, I didn't send anything??? ….. I wasn't even aware I was going to Lotusphere, so I'm pretty sure I didn't send in any session proposal? …… What is going on here?!?!?

The clue followed 5 minutes later in a message from my manager: "Ehhh,.... you might receive a message from IBM, don't worry, I'll explain tomorrow". My dear collegue had send in a proposal for us to do a session on Document Management. A subject our company has been specializing in over the last few years and also the topic of the Redbook I worked on last March. Knowing I would never even think of proposing a session myself, he kind of ambushed me into it.
So, worried about the prospect of having to do a session at my first ever Lotusphere, but at the same time quite certain it would probably not be accepted anyway, the first thing that came to mind was: "I'm really going then!!".

That was all that mathered! After 10 years working as a Lotus Notes, Domino, Document Management and Workflow Consultant I was finally going to Lotusphere. A dream I'd had for years but something that just never materialized due to costs, projects that intervened and employers that just didn't see the necessity...... This time I was really going!

So, looking back, what was my biggest LS2010 moment?

No, not the session we did ourselves (yes, it did get accepted and it was a great experience!) and not the numerous interesting talks I had with people, or great sessions I followed. No, for me the best moment was walking up to that General opening session on Monday morning. Being swept up in the hallway in this enormous crowd of people all wearing the same Lotusphere badge and backpack, moving towards the big hall. Thousands of people full of anticipating and all with the same ideas and motivation......

Being a part of that crowd, that movement, that buzz: Feeling absolutely at home. That was my biggest LS2010 moment.  I will never forget this and whatever happens.... I’ve got the taste now, I'm definitely coming back next year!! ;-)

ps. for those that are interested: Our session was called "BP304-Can a Sheep with Five Legs Win the Race?: Looking For the Right Document Management Alternative" slideshow

New beginnings

Ok, It's always daunting to start something new. A new blog is no exception to that. Yes I've been blogging before but in that blog I described only my personal live, as I like to keep my personal and bussiness live seperated (not easy if you're a work-aholic like me!).

Last week though I was at Lotusphere 2010. the place to be if you are a IBM Lotus adept like me, and that kind of gave me the boost to expand my blogging activities. With a new focus I also decided to go for a new Blog, so here we are!

Is it going to be interesting? Not sure, we'll see. Stick around and find out for yourself!