Re: design update

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Tue, 10 Feb 2004, E. A. Zen wrote:

> Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 17:25:49 -0600
> From: E. A. Zen <ericzen ez-net com>
> To: Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>
> Cc: Gnome Office <gnome-office-list gnome org>
> Subject: Re: design update
>
> On 02/10/04 13:23:31, Alan Horkan wrote:
> >   From what I have read of Jakob Nielsen there is a standard
> > convention  of  putting a search box on the top right.
>
>
> HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
> Referencing: Usability
> Usability: Technology
> Technology: Communication
> Communication: Personalities:
> Personalities: Earth:
>
> Jakob Nielsen
> A web nutjob if one ever existed.  He continues to live his life under

I dont disagree.
I found his book lacking insight, so much stuff I had already heard or
read and you would think that a usability expert wouldn't have such an
appalling layout for his book.
In a mazine article it is okay to have little sidebars, but in book it is
just distracting, annoying and horribly breaks the flow of reading to keep
stopping to read the damned sidebars.

Even so, his usability suggestions and advice are better than most of the
haphazard designs on the web and I believe he has done some good,
particularly with his harrassment of Macromedia to make Flash less of a
god awful browser unfriendly pain in the ass.

> -----
>
> I do, however, agree with the most suitable location of a search box
> being at the top, but I do so agreeing with Oliver and not <spit />
> "The Prophet."

Feel free to buy me a good usability book to read and give me some one
else to quote instead.  :)

Sincerely
Alan Horkan