November 2007 - Posts
http://alphachannel.msnbc.msn.com
This is MSNBC's blog all about their new site launch. They have been working on the site redesign for a year and the blog covers topics ranging from why they made navigation changes to what might be broken at launch.
I love their transparency. Give me more...companies out there! I want to know why you made your choices and how you thought about me, Jane User, while you made them! Tell me your mistakes, answer our questions, and share your frustrations. Talk to me like a friend who is excited about his/her line of work, not a 'mark' who you will make a buck off of. You know why this is important? Because it shows you care and that's just plain old contagious.
Way to go, MSNBC.
I was working with some folks today on the feasibility of completing a project by a hard deadline with an immovable scope. We really really wanted to do the project, everyone was emotionally invested because we had a genuine interest in helping the client and honestly, the artwork kicked butt. (Hmm....funny how creative work gets people jazzed). I took the estimate numbers and plugged them into MS Project to see what story it told us. 
At first, the story looked horrible--2 months longer than the client needed. Then I took snapshots of what it looked like with 1 developers, 2 developers and 3 developers. It cut the timeline down somewhat, but still looked bad.
I have learned something very important over the years when building a schedule: you have to think of the tasks in a schedule like variables in a formula. X +Y = Z, where X & Y are predecessors--what needs to happen before a particular task can start. Without a developer sitting next to you, sometimes it's foolish to make assumptions--and sometimes you just have to do it. So, I did some stacking based on timelines. Developer 1 couldn't start on skinning a single blog until the site skin was complete, because resources can't do two things at once. In the meantime, Developer 2 could start on a custom module and shouldn't impact developer 1.
Anywho, even when I did some fancy stacking and added 3 developer resources, the numbers just didn't add up--there was no way we could meet the deadline. If we went forward with the project, we were setting ourselves up to fail.
One of my PM mentors, Steve Weidner, taught me that sometimes the story that the schedule tells you isn't what you want. And that's OK.
Windows Live launched Live Search 411--a free directory service--in October. Besides business info, you can also get business info, but you can get maps, weather forecasts, movie tickets, travel info and text messages of listings--I don't care as much about that, but still cool.
I use TMobile and when I'm out & about needing to find something, I usually call 411. They charge me something like $1.99 for directory assistance! Well, I'm a frugal gal, this doesn't sit well with me.
The audio 'clues' that you hear along the way are a nice touch. For example, when I asked about my local weather forecast, I heard birds in the background--this lets me know that I'm in the 'weather' section. Or when 'scrolling' through listings, you hear a little beep noise to differentiate between each listing. Back in the day, I helped setup Scottline - an IVR system for John L. Scott Real Estate. The user could enter a Scottline code advertised on yard signs and would hear a voiced description of the property. IVR's are not easy, so I recognize that these little details take intent for a pleasant user experience and effort to follow through.
Okay, well now you know that I don't have web search enabled on my phone (because it costs extra and the UI sucks), nor do I have an iPhone (mmm...iPhone...AT&T only...doh!) or a GPS device (on the X-mas list). Sometimes you just need to call for a business location when you're driving in circles. That's why I like this service. It's free and easy. You just have to remember (or store) the phone number.
Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters! No, Ghostbusters are SO 80's, call instead: 1-800-CALL-411
The MS research folks (MSR), just launched their community site. http://community.research.microsoft.com/
I believe that there are plans for a bunch of blogs and forums! I look forward to seeing the content that they put together.
Congrats, MSR!
A special shout out to Rick Reszler, our resident Wizard, who helped this launch so smoothly. Thank you, Rick.
It's cold, wet and snarely out here in the Seattle area today. On my way home from an appointment, I stopped in at Tullys to grab some warm liquid (peppermint cocoa). The Tullys in Bothell is a small store at the end of a strip mall and I wasn't expecting much activity. Wow! That place was hopping!
In one corner was a group working on some sort of project together, perhaps college students. I saw a mom with her 4 year oldish son having a bit of blueberry muffin. Several guys at different tables had their computers open. In the back are comfy overstuffed chairs next to a fireplace where I noticed a couple of folks conducting phone business.
On the wall next to where you pick up your drinks is an article that someone cut out of the Seattle times talking about how Tullys has gone 'greeen' and raised their prices by ~11cents a cup. They have compostable paper cups, use 100% organic coffee and recycle stuff. Seems good.
It helps that Tullys provides free wireless access--this has drawn me there many times and away from Starbucks. Honestly, I don't like the way Starbucks smells, either. I smell like burnt coffee when I walk outta there.
So, I look at all this and I find community. Each doing their own thing, but choosing to do it together. Seattle is a bit reserved, I think. It's hard to tell because I live here, but I have traveled and felt other local flavors out there. I do know that coffee shops are where we build community--I can feel it. So, can we connect people together somehow? Is there a common thread or something to rally around that could ignite this? Would people freak out and run out the door? This is the type of place were we could get together and make change. Heck, I bet we could even put some creative thoughts together about our transportation issues. It's ripe.
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