Physics of Passion: The Koolaid Point. You don't really have passionate users until someone starts accusing them of “drinking the koolaid.” You might have happy users, even loyal users, but it's the truly passionate that piss off others enough to motivate them to say something…. [Creating Passionate Users]

I know something you don't. Almost everybody loves to be the first to know something… or rather the first to reveal it to others. Whether it's a clever hack, a little-known easter egg, or a juicy bit of insider gossip. And nowhere is this… [Creating Passionate Users]

You could have 74 additional servers if you really wanted to….. Once again, let's get the  misconceptions about the SBS platform blown away tonight shall we? No… SBS 2003 does not have to be the ONLY server on the Subnet. It DOES have to be the PRIMARY domain controller and hold the FSMO roles.. however… Continue reading You could have 74 additional servers if you really wanted to….

Supporting your microISV product. Alex King, founder of King Design, who has produced Tasks (a web based task management app) and Feedlounge (a web based RSS reader) gives us his thoughts on offering support as a microISV business owner. He has made the choice to not offer free phone support but instead focuses his time… Continue reading Supporting your microISV product

Veritas Gets Its Back Up Over Requested Fix. Tech support reps will often try to put you off by claiming your problem can't be real because no one else has reported it. But what if other customers have been trying to complain and turned away with the same response? That's the struggle one reader feels… Continue reading Veritas Gets Its Back Up Over Requested Fix

The importance of having a designer on staff. A significant percentage of the clients we’ve worked with in the past 6 years have healthy engineering teams in-house, but they lack a single designer. Flush with programmers, devoid of designers. That’s not a healthy ratio. The interface is the product. It’s the touchpoint between you and… Continue reading The importance of having a designer on staff

Things that are still hard to find online (but shouldn't be). A good plumber or electrician Which stores in my area have a specific product in stock Laws (how do I find out if something is legal or not?) Are there bike racks near this address? What a product *sounds* like when you use it… Continue reading Things that are still hard to find online (but shouldn't be)

End users and screensavers. Recently at my own office I enabled the option to turn of a password protection on the screen when someone walked away for more than an hour. Merely turning off the screen isn't good enough protection when working with client information.. I mean…duh… you are still logged in with access to… Continue reading End users and screensavers

FCC Extends Wiretap Rules To Broadband Internet Services.. FCC Extends Wiretap Rules To Broadband Internet Services. The Federal Communications Commission ruled August 5 that broadband Internet access and “interconnected VoIP” services must be designed to make government wiretapping easier, under the terms of the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). CDT believes the… Continue reading FCC Extends Wiretap Rules To Broadband Internet Services.

Getting Real: The problem with preferences, interface design, and the customer experience. At 37signals we’re pretty anti-preference/setting. When we Get Real we try to make informed decisions for the people who use our products so they don’t have to think about preferences or settings or adjustments — they can just use the product and know… Continue reading Getting Real: The problem with preferences, interface design, and the customer experience