Re: [Usability]Short article on OSS usability

[Robert Watkins <robert_maria yahoo com>]

A couple of weeks ago, there was some discussion
on this list about the article I wrote that
appeared on the UPA website. I don't generally
become active in mailing lists* but thought some
insight into this article may be helpful or at
least somewhat interesting.

I consider myself a Linux enthusiast and general
Usability guy (read 'moderately knowledgible in
Usability'). I've got several years experience as
a website developer/designer as well. I first
tried to match these two interests by approaching
a usability list and proposing a process for
pursuing what I consider 'true' Usability only to
be ignored, flamed and eventually told that I
must be in the wrong place.

It appeared that I wasn't the one to promote
Usability as I saw it by approaching the
developers, so I went to a group of Usability
folks. This article was sent as a 'call to
action' to the UPA Director of Outreach. I had
intended for the email to identify an opportunity
for Usability folk to get more experience in
their craft without relying on their jobs to
provide them with opportunities.

About a month went by. During that time the
Director of Outreach sent it to the Editor of the
online newsletter and she made a couple
modifications and asked if I would agree to have
it on the site. I had to resist the urge to
completely re-write it because it wasn't intended
as an article. 

Hopefully, that explains some of the vauge and
unexplained items in the article. That being
said, I have only one comment to add to the
discussion.

>> Or is the author saying that *other*
beneficial 
>>types of usability 
>> discussion are conspcuously absent from our 
>> mailing lists?  If so, what 
>> kind of discussion would be more useful?

>That's the six million dollar question I
guess... >anybody want to write
>and ask him?  :)

My experience with this list is minimal, but
other lists I've lurked / participated in make my
brain hurt because of the gross misuse of the
term Usability. However, from what I've read from
this particular thread leads me to believe that
there are lots of people that have the same
understanding of Usability as I do.

Robert


*I wish I had more time to devote to the
discussions that support OSS from a Usability
standpoint. I end up getting involved for a short
period before other committments take
preceidence.