Floozy Speak!

Good Morning Planet! 

The Five Rules of User Experience Testing are:

1. Make'm talk.  I dare you to hurt my feelings.  Speak damnit!  Restate what they say if need be.  A weak audio cue on tape = nothing so get them to talk.  Don't let them be shy.  Voice your opinion.  ROAR for the crowd. 

2. Simplicity is key.  We could do x, y, z, h and r.  But what we really need to do is have a conversation, so have one.  Have that conversation and keep the hairy whims of wow we could do everything out of the picture.  Know when you are doing too much.  See that you are doing too much before doing too much arrives on the scene.  Understand that if you are doing too much odds are you have alot of much and useless data. 

3. Plan.  Plan for the worst.  Research is alive because people are alive.  Anything can happen and typically will when you least expect it.  If you got scenario A down pat, thats fine, what about plan B?  Where does the user live?  Wheres that experience live?  How do you expect to get that shot, record that conversation, climb up that hill, find that nugget?  And what about you?  A exhausted researcher gets little data.  Drink yer water, stay fit, get your rest.  What about capture?  What works best for what you are doing?  Its important to get what you can in the most efficient way possible.  So if that means two people go out into the field vs one, so be it.  If that means you use tablets instead of laptops, so be it.  Audio, Video what are you doing, grab it, and plan, plan for those batteries to die on you, plan for the sky falling cause it can and will when you least expect it. 

4. Write it down!  Record, do not press pause.  The moment just expired did you capture it?  Your goal is to get good data, 8:21am on Feb. 25th just occured, it will never be back again.  What do you have to show for that instance in time?  Did you take notes?  How do you take good notes?  Whats involved in taking good notes?  Is it technology, is the old school pen and paper, know what works for the situation you are in.  Whatever you do, you better have notes.  Speed up the qualitative data process.  Everything on audio and video tape is good in the sense you captured the moment, but bad in the sense that to get to the nuggets of info you want to get to - you have to relive it.  Refine that process.  Capture life but auto notate as you go.  Timecodes.  Timecodes can save the world when it comes to research.  It can shave 40hrs off your analysis time.  Better yet, timecodes and annotation of what is occuring in real time.  Active timecodes that have meaning, values of what is happening, a question, a design idea, a location tag, a descriptor, we're talkin tags for people.  Tag it all.  And get a system down to do it in whatever instance of research experience you are in. 

5. Don't Panic!  Its not your fault.  Shit happens.  Stuff breaks.  Maintain calm.  You can't save the planet, you can't make people talk.. well not all the times.  You can't plan for every possible snafu.  Some times its complicated, don't sweat the small stuff.  Stay focused.  Be willing to fail.  Embrace failure and learn from it.  Don't ever feel beaten.  Feel charged, feel energy, feel the possiblity that you can do it better.  Be posititve.  Walk the path and be willing to take it all in.  And remember... Get them to talk!

Posted by dan at 08:29 AM | Permalink

Wow today has been a great day!  Got alot done and my mind is racing with new ideas and concepts. 

Lately at work I've been hell bent on doing things better, and in particular finding better tools to help us achive a new and better high in qualitative data analysis.  I mean really, lets get off the ground here folks whats out there? 

So I did some digging, neat tools >>

http://del.icio.us/koovus/QDA

http://del.icio.us/koovus/demo_2005

ooo or http://del.icio.us/koovus/tools

Then I stumbled into some cool concepts at work in folks doing blog analysis.  Now thats cool.  Then that rammed me head on to a slew of interesting PDF's, and more excellent book reccomendations.  I swear I collect all these books and I need time to finish the one im reading now. 

So i'm in the works of reading up more on tags and folksonomies, which i swear, its like every sixty days or so we need yet another new word to explain things. 

A few gems in my search today. 

Jeremy writes about the Petty Giant, and its true, spot on! 

Dan and others comment on Smart Tags and how Google is following the Giant's footsteps.  Apparently there is a lot of buzz about this baby on the net.

Thoughts on how it only takes 5 bloggers to make yer product shine! 

And now i'm playing with PubSub.  Eyetools launches a blog.

NYTimes aquires About.com for $410 million dollars.. what were they thinking?!  Ahhh well.

LOL these CEO's tag each other back and forth.  I saw this blurb on how to hack napster just yesterday, its wild how fast a little story on someones blog can manifest into something much larger.. not to mention tag Steve Jobs as worthy info to consume. 

Posted by dan at 05:33 PM | Permalink

Now playing: Various - Decorum / Contrax (Weapon Rmx)

Well theres been another round of layoffs at me ole haunt of workplace of ADV Films.  Which ya know, I guess I shouldn't really care about honestly.  But hey ya know sometimes ya remember folks, old people you've worked with etc.  Lotta good times made in the house of ADV.  I remember the good times and the bad.  I hate to see people get axed but it happens.  I'm not really sure what the state of the biz is at the moment.  But hell lets take a shot at ADV shall we?  Let's look and see. 

Now lets first say the following:  I worked at ADV from 1995 or was it 1996 to 2000 or was it 2001.  Anyways.  I was there in the early days sub 15 people.  Now its grown and massive into the vision you see today.  Sure on the surface its all very magical, the people and lives underneath, thats the gusto ya know.  Am I bitter?  Not really.  I left ADV, they didnt fire me.  There was just nothing left to do.  I edited animation, created trailers, worked on the early websites, was the original content o matic, created marketing materials, dare i say aided in aqusition reccomendations and more.  ADV was force back in 1997-98, those were the unstoppable years of development of the brand.  Today if anything i'm mifted to see whats become of the unstoppable brand i like to think i had a hand in crafting.  So grant me this soap box folks.  Its totally different than what I do now, I agree.  You really cant compare anime to research.  But the general marketing aspect of both industries still work for me.  I'm still translating something into something else and making it kick ass as I go. 

Are you an Anime ADVocate?  Thats one problem I had with ADV back in the days I worked there.  I always felt the spine of ADV was far too flexible.  They just bended every which way far too easily really.  The language of the brand was never strong enough to make a statement, nothing original really pressed to the surface.  And when it did, it never came from management or marketing.. it always came to surface from a fan.  Fans make the industry go as a whole but they are the first to leave you in the dust if you don't pay attention to them.  Are you an Anime ADVocate?  The name ADV was never something I really liked as well.  ABC, EFG, ahhh well.  I mean yer an anime provider, latch on to some spice ya know.  Get a voice, claim some space and project yourself. 

John (the CEO, though i've head its now a kind of hive mind at work at ADV) has always a stickler for policy, proceedure despite its true need in my opinion.  Check out policy at the site.  Damn.  Thats the first thing that comes to mind.  I'm suprised there isnt a cool flash animation dude magic button with breasts on it to get this page really.  T&A was like policy back in the 90's you could do no wrong with a little T&A. 

I suppose it is all just proceedure but my god man.  I like all the different trademarks as well, ADVTOYS, ADVCATS, ADV<INSERTWORDANDWEWILLFINDYOUBITCH>, etc..   I love the added " From time to time we may share your email address with other ADV owned or affiliated companies....muahahhahhaha. " Its really notice overkill.  So why do it?  What if I choke on a tic tac while surfing the site.. maybe i could sue them.. is that covered in there as well?  Ok sure so policy big deal, but why thats my point and I think it comes into the overall perception the company has as a whole of the brand itself.  I mean does the compeition do this?  Lets see. Take Geneon animation, ie Pioneer animation, a good solid compeitior really.  Any notices of doom on board?  Nope.  None.  Manga?  Nope.  Too small you say?  I agree lets go bigger.. Bandai?  Maybe its an old school japanese protection fetish thats occuring here, lets see: Yep they got one.  Oooo I like it.  Its a wee bit less in my face.  Ok so weak argument, I agree, weak but nevertheless it goes into my straw hat on my issues with ADV.  

Its funny.  I know right now my old friends I met at ADV are reading this goin "why is he even givin a blog entry..."  In fact when EX ADVer's get together we used to talk about those other folks at ABC.  I just remember ADV getting renamed at some bar some night.  ABC!  I guess part of me wants to sit down and have a drink with the ole boss and say what is up dude?  ADV was cool brand to me back then.  If only it could of embraced its people, people on the inside that cared.  A few egos rule at place now and it sounds like all the red tape of proceedure does everything else in as well.  The biz dev guy in me wants to look at it purely from an asset aspect.  What's the offering?  Film wise, is there anything there?  Back in late 90's ADV, any animation house was based on its value of potential pictures to release.  Own it.  If theres one thing ADV taught me, it was to OWN it.  But owning it isnt enough in marketplace where yer competion is 10x as strong and the creators hold the key.  The japanese that is.  At least thats what happened at ADV.  They put all the keys in japanese hands.  Sure they dabbled in production efforts of their own but not nearly enough.  Lady Death, Sin, good starts, you learned alot there.. you still have total lack of faith in your own people though.  The paranoia of ADV still shines true today as it did back in 2000 when I left.  Now the offering is increasingly difficult to present, the list of titles is limited, and outlets to get it to consumers is fading as well.  Fans are overstepping your offer with thier own bit torrented files, sure theres an effort to stop that as well but still, the marketplace is bigger and your exposed as a result. 

This isnt a rant about how to fix ADV.  Again I dont know thier numbers, in fact I never did.  And in fact i wouldnt believe any numbers i see out there now cause like anyone are based on speculation on potential to sell not actual result.  So ya potentially we can millions... but whats the real number, after the costs of production hit ya.

I wanted to write this blurb while i had it in my head at the moment.  I'm sorry for my last bit of friends who got the axe at ADV.  It was comin, they knew it one way or another.  Just like my job now, or anyones, we could all be outa work at any moment.  So stay frisky and realize your worth and take claim of it.  You did it. I did it.   

Posted by dan at 07:34 PM | Permalink

Check out this new indeed, site.  Very cool.

Posted by dan at 05:53 PM | Permalink

At the staff meeting today I spilled the beans on OSN 2005.  I got the atypical glazed over look.  Sometimes I just lack the lanaguage to properlly explain why I think something is really interesting.  I think OSN 2005 has been really exciting to tap into, discuss ideas, toss your 2 cents on table and read anothers 3 cents.  Yet taking my passion or interest for social networks and trying to show folks at work how truly awesome this stuff could be if we used it and applied it work and research processes is like so..... draining.  I can't do it. 

After the meeting, after the glazed eyes and seemingly sleepy head nods to.. oh ya.. social whatever the heck you are doing Dan.  A few folks did stop by to recap just what the heck i was talkin about.  Some of them got the essence of it, maybe they'll run with it like I have. 

Later on in the day I saw some data input on another project.  A branding focus/product type project.  Seeing all these manual input methods, an access database here, a hand printed book over there, I see all of that and think to myself.  The new and better way to do this is here now.  It exists.  How do I get it in place.  How can I ramp folks up on this idea of using these tools better, heck not even better, its pure adoption.  How do i get them to adopt it.  Is my idea really all that?  Is it lacking anywhere?  There are some aspects you dont have control over.  In our system the media, the data is locked down, i hold, it, i have it in my hand.  I take it from there.  A social network on the net means the data is out there, out in the fuzzy gooy place called the web.  It maybe under some level of secruity but its still out there not here.  It could be locked down with passwords and such but its still not in my hands. 

In other news I've been rambling to some folks about how the one of our tablets in use in the field is running so damn slow.  I was convinced it was the new XP service pack 2 update or the new tablet fixes that came along with that update.  As usual, people think i'm nuts.  But my other tablet which hadn't had the new "wow" update was fine, speedy as much as it could be with a transmeta chip.  Its a first gen tablet, the HP-TC1000.  Then today.. I read this.  Damn those bastards.. i knew something was up. 

On another note, I've been meaning to talk a bit on OSN 2005 about sponatous creation of social networks thru mobile devices and smart enviroments.  Awhile back I read an interesting article on an MIT startup that was working on bluetooth mobile connectivity groups.  This proximity dating is kinda like that.  In my ramble about that, and perhaps i can find it in the archives.  I thought about smart bar enviroments, where the enviroment senses your phone, knows your preferences and in your area, your circle of influence, you get lighting and minor changes to what you see and hear.  The building knows yer there.  And then I think recall talking about social networking while yer oblivious to it, your phone tells you theres another raving wrestling fan like yerself in the room.  It tells you, beeps at you, you know and you can opt to interact, or maybe you tell your phone to interact for you.  You suck at making the first contact, maybe we all suck so our phones do it for us.  Our mobile devices que up the conversation, compare likes and dislikes and when it feels we have enough to go without its assistance, it glows at us and says "that guy over there... the tall one" it reads off the description the other person put in their phone.  Just enough detail so that you can make that connection and start that conversation.  I think i need cut and paste this ramble on OSN.  .... Done! 

Posted by dan at 05:42 PM | Permalink

Well the week is almost over and its been crazy.  At work i'm working on a real human factors project which has me and others feverishly building strange gizmos to test.  I think its funny how research can often send you out looking for the strangest of things. 

This week it was foam.  I needed to find some thick foam.  Ya know thats more difficult that you'd think.  Home Depot?  Art store?  A rug factory, maybe a matress store... wait how about cutting up nerf toys... thats pretty foamy.   Finally we get a sample of foam from a foam factory but then they want you to buy a sheet, a massive sheet.  Ahh well. 

So ok enough about that elusive project.  

What else is happening.  Hey social networks induced childern of the new era, get yer groove on at the Online Social Networks 2005 Conference..... yes go sign up.  I'm in there.  I'm trying to get more peeps to join in.  Its very cool so far. 

So stop reading this and get over there now!  Are you a blogger, a flickr'ite, a social butterfly, a wise would be trend setter, a slightly curious folk?  Well this is the place to be for February kids.  Wait a tick dan, make some sense, what the heck is it?

"OSN2005 is an online summit for all those interested in working with social networking processes, tools, and media. Over two weeks of opportunity to network with individuals and organizations from around the world. You will be attending online workshops, panels, and viewing presentations by leading experts and practitioners. At OSN2005 you have the opportunity to be part of a community with a significant role in defining the future direction of online social networking."

There ya got that? Ok what else is happening.. FlickrGraph is very cool, go check that out.  And again if you don't have flickr, is it just because you don't get it yet?  Who all here doesn't get it, please see me after class. 

I thought 43 things looked just too polished, it has this uncany look and feel of something rather forest like.. ie, like the amazon.  Turns out it IS a little Amazon'ny.  So what's this mean then eh?  Could this be just the start of more corporate firms fishing for market research data via social network tools?  Could this scare folks off of useful tools in fear of being cultivated, farmed for information - unwillingly?  I mean I am in research and all and I agree, social network tools in general are great places to hunt and sniff and pick and dig up some tasty market data on people.. but classy providers actually inform folks of this happening, they dont do it in secret.  However with the world gone beta i suppose anyone can do this now.  What analysis tools are being wielded on me as we speak to sift out my attributes and interests right now.  Heck by posting this blog entry is P&G getting a better feel on how they should market thier new toothpaste for me? at me? 

Fake reporting?  This will only get worse.  As the world lives moment to moment, the backlash of false reporting will fade away, what matters is now.  Are we a now generation, living in the now, prepping for the now, surfing in the now.  Wired in the now, why now do I care, and tomorrow will it matter? 

Posted by dan at 12:45 PM | Permalink

So I've been wanting to wash the mini for awhile now but the fears of snow and rain to ruin my blissful moment of sheer mini shinyness have caused me to pause a bit.  I mean I hate to wash and then get rained on.  Everyone hates that.  Sure enough after my saturday morning run to the bank on a beautiful day I figure, sure, today is the day....... wait  a sec.. Lemme find out the weather forecast.. bah surfing on the sidekick too slow, too many steps to find out.  Wait, this is a job for Smarter Child!  Sure enough the weather for the week, my child tells me is rain rain rain.. no washy today.  Gah!  Well still good use of the child there.

Here's a suprising turn of events, er info tidbit for ya.  In telling my brother about Smarter Child turns out in 2001, Lextant did a piece of work on Compuserve's BuddyBot, a basic AIM bot.  Lextant did some testing on people interacting with the bot.  Very cool results for the time.  I wonder how far bots and coding of them has gone since 2001, probably leaps and bounds really.  Still I can't help but to think this Smarter Child is pretty damn cool.  I keep thinking about the REsearchBot for field use. 

Do higher count sheets really matter?  Well I say yes.  In fact this morning I didn't want to exit the bed.  I wanted to stay.... STAY and sleep.  They really do feel soo much better.  I picked up a 500 thread count sheet this weekend, cause well, I've always had a strange mix match set of sheets from my parents assortment of sheetage.  Bout time, now in my mid 30's that I actually think about sheets ya know.  Good ones. Truth be told, good sheets are truly heavenily. 

Posted by dan at 10:28 AM | Permalink

43 Folders: I Want a Pony: Snapshots of a Dream Productivity App

Tags taking off? What is the dream app we're all looking for? It's all coming together.

Posted by dan at 04:27 PM | Permalink

Modern Marketing - Collaborate Marketing Services: What Is Open Source Marketing?

What Is Open Source Marketing? Sure I could see that.

Posted by dan at 05:52 PM | Permalink

John Porcaro: mktg@msft

Passionate Careers, I agree!

Hey this is pretty good blog to read as well, check it out! - that pic of bill gates is kinda.. scary... but that old pc behind him, Oh I remember that. State of the ART!

Posted by dan at 03:04 PM | Permalink

Nothing kills me more than to watch people I know struggle with an application that I know is not right for what they are doing.  Like someone using word to edit video, not possible you say, i'm sure someone has done it, it was painful but thru enough backend loophole connectors and macros and what not its possible.  Ok thats an extreme example.  But researchers on the whole don't really, well let me say, pure researchers are about analyzing data and coming up with ideas, they aren't folks who obsess on what tools could be used to help them visualize it.  Those freaks are me. 

I love new applications, new softare, new ways to do things.  I love anything new.  Ok I'm a new junkie.  Maybe I'm short attention span theater boy but I also like things that work well consistantly.  So while I love the new, the what works is just as desirable.  But the just works also needs to be right. 

What is the right application?  To me you don't need Quark or InDesign to make a proceedure map.  Heck its a mind map right?  Yer goal is to get yer ideas down and think about what yer seeing now fiddle with 400 little widgets to draw a line.  That drives me nuts.  It should be:

realize >> synthetize >> translate >> produce

Realize whats happening, sythetize the gist of it, translate it into your chart, produce the chart. 

Typically to realize means you had a big meeting, a brainstorm, a bunch of folks talkin, OR, you observed, you denoted, you watched and took notes.  Then you sythetize, you compile your findings, you make an affinity diagram, you get it all out, ya break it all down and look for patterns, the big buckets, the nuggets of goodness.  Next up you translate it, you build your map of whats happening, you sketch it out, yes SKETCH it out as to whats occuring, you conceptually create based on the evidence at hand.  THEN, once you got narrowed down, sketched out, finalized as it to be, THEN you produce.  Create it.  Finalize it. 

Too many steps you say?  Well researchers need steps.  Gotta have steps.  Can't quite tell the client the gusto unless you have evidence to prove it.  I think what happens is researchers skip the translate part and go right to produce.  So now in my managers eye, (which i use alot), I have this researcher, a brilliant peep diving into the world of photoshop and indesign to create their masterpiece.. and struggle.  Wait you say they're brilliant, sure but rather intolerant when it comes to tech, they are stubbron folk I say.  So they get fustrated, sigh and waste time trying to create the perfect diagram when they should be merely translating it. 

I say let the designers, the hardcore kids of art and mayhem bang out yer piece.  They are the producers.  They are the folks that zip thru inDesign in 7 seconds.  To me its a waste of time to struggle with an application and when I see a researcher doing it, I wish I was the manager. 

Sure I respect those that want to learn, thats a given yep, but every project has hours alloted to it.  Your time is based on that, and not learning now to draw. 

Another thing that gets me is that they dont know so they forge ahead in the snow.  They're researchers damnit, they should question everything, shouldn't they be saying "damn this blows and this is gonna kill my zeeal on the project attempting to learn this damn app all i want to do is build a mind map.. geeze" but... perhaps they are like diehard programmers we find in usability studies often.  Its like the badge of honor when it comes to unix folks.  You could hand them a broken toaster that burns plastic and gives them massive headaches and they'd still give it a high rating of "ya its good, i can deal".  As consumers and researchers we tend to pile up alot of "ok's" in this "we'll deal" pot. 

Deal with it Dan. 

Posted by dan at 09:12 AM | Permalink

Invisible Adjunct: Movable Type for Dummies?

Movable Type for Dummies?

Ya I need to figure out this whole CSS thing. I want a three column setup.

Posted by dan at 04:44 PM | Permalink

lately i've been reading alot about google.  it's upcoming struggle against the might bugged microsoft and the future wars of whatever... Hey everyone wants a piece of google, makes sense really, they've done alot in such a short time. 

Checkin out a few assorted blogs about google regarding the "no follow" thread I came across the job section of the google site.. neat:

Posted by dan at 02:07 PM | Permalink

Ya know i've had alot of fun with SmarterChild today.  I keep coming up with different use cases in my head.  I just ran into the issue of missing cables and cameras at work, which occurs often.  We don't really have any kind of sign out sheet or information form at work.  So maybe we create one, a intranet wiki or database that ties into our smarterchild.

user:> i need a camera

inner child:> what kind?

user:> sony

inner child:> do you mean the (1) HX34 or the (2) RTZ18?

user:> 1

inner child:> its out on the (REF #3418) Ford Project with Jim and Stan.  Can you use the Kodak?  We have that in stock.

user:> I need 10x zoom.

inner child:> Use the Cannon, we have that in stock. 

Of course this means we need a wiki or database system in house with scheduling.  But I like the idea of a personal assistant to gimme the 411 on where the heck stuff is.  And its not at file that i have to rifle thru and its not in an endless barrage of emails.  I find email to be really lacking actually.  Its not meant for short quick bursts of info.  What if..

user:> I'm going to be late this morning.

inner child:> why?

user:> doctors appointment

inner child:> when do you expect to be in?

user:> by noon

inner child:> are you reachable by phone?

user:> yes

inner child:> are you at 451-9090 or 785-6543?

user: 9090

inner child:> ok

later

boss: where is stan?

inner child:> he had a doctors appointment today and should be in by noon, reachable via 451-9090

or heck make the child proactive and im the boss as soon as he logs on

I guess i just see alot of possiblities in this concept.  I often have two or three people hit me up for things at times.  And its like instant get it now conversations.  I understand the need to clarify and talk to someone in person.  But for everyday chatter of ogranization.  Ya know.. a better system could work.  Now i gotta nother idea. 

When WAP first came out I kept thinking of HappyHour buddy.  You could send him a SMS and he'd tell ya where all the good happyhours spots were.  You could put that info in the child as well. 

inner child:> it's almost that time

user:> time for what?

inner child:> happy hour!

user:> happylist

inner child:> what zip for happylist?

user:> 43017

inner child:> 1. BCRoosters 5-7pm 10cent drafts, 2. Chuy's 5-8pm 40cent wings, 3. Hooters 5-6pm 1buck well drinks

user:> 2

inner child:> Go now hurry! Call Chuys at 334-8989 or ask me for directions

user:> directions

inner child:> give your GPS values or cross street information

user:> i'm at the corner of broad and high

I think there are happyhour tools out there already really.  But I could see a bot doing it as well.  I can already hear the critics in my head.  Just call someone man, make the connection.  Thing is we dont do that.  Thats a good idea in theory really, communication.  We assume far too much that communication amongst people actually occurs.  I say trap them where they lay.  We're becoming more and more wired right?  Folks can blaze thru chat conversations and multitask to high heaven so why not keep that going.  Why slow down? 

Do people suck?  Some of us are just far ineffecient with our time.  And applications dont have emotional blackholes that often absorb all that we see and hear and assume the worst. 

I'm curious really.  Curious about potential accelerators to my everyday experience.  Rather than have three people ask me about x or y, or two people curious about z, or one other to say "im not in today" i say tell the inner child.  Wire that kid up to our knowledge mangement system.  Get it all secure and wired for wirelessness.  I'd love to have inner child tell me a report of the days ramblings and mishaps and what not.  I could follow up from there with a clean idea of what is happening vs the stories.  Inner child wont make up excuses, course we could add that feature "what excuse to use?", but generally the concept of bot assisting me is becoming more and more attractive. 

Posted by dan at 01:07 PM | Permalink

Now I suppose there have been bots like this before.  But SmarterChild is actually pretty damn nifty really.  Heck for gettin movie times alone its a great little tool.  It can also tell you the meaning of words, translate phrases for you and get ya weather info and heck plan yer day with the bot.

Add him/her/it to yer buddies list in instant messagner and yer all set.  Just start talkin to him.  I've set up some events in him to remind me on during the week and have already one hilarious conversation with him. I'm suprised how much he knew about ole Troy already.  Troy doesn't trust anyone ya know.  EGO that is.. :P 

For what this little bot can do I'm reccomending the other sidekick2 users in the firm add him as well.  I bet with an SDK you could develop some handy additional features as well.   I could see expense report/monitoring, supply monitoring, stock reminders, ebay reminders, and more.

I know I know, we have email already, and heck we can use chat with a person etc.  But what is it about IM that makes it different than email and other forms of communication.  Well first of all its thin client, no spam, assured p2p connection, i mean its connected, email isnt really connected, you have a process involved there.  I could tell SmarterChild the results of a test in another country, tell him via chat, and he could send all the data to a server and it could be processed by the time i get back. 

Scenario 1:

Product research in Tokyo.  We're peoples homes asking questions and talking about various kinds of prefered lunch meat.  We talk, collage, take pictures, etc.  Typically at the end of this 1 to 2 hr session, we leave, take our data, go to the next visit etc.  At the end of the evening we may send the data back to base, but usually we don't.  Why? Cause the folks that need to work that data are all in the field already.  Now SmarterChild doesnt really get me anything over someone vpn'ing in and putting the data on the network.  But remember thats just data sitting there, no ones acting on it yet. And getting in via vpn and what not and moving a file over etc does take a certain amount of given setups, like one yer connected to a lan/wifi connection etc.  What if the minute you walk outa the home and in the taxi you tell SmarterChild some of yer results.  Yer trying to get to a topline summary really.  Its early in the research and you want to start analyzing and coming up with some inital pattern analysis for the client.  So maybe thats it.  SmarterChild isnt the end analysis tool, but you program him with the backend knowlege that yer going to seven countries etc and start giving it various bits of info and it starts helping you create a summary or top line that you then use as an advantage when you get back.  The minute you get back in the states and the real data crunch begins you have a leg up cause you've consulted with yer SmartAnalyzer in the field.  That'd be awesome.  And you did it all via yer phone. 

Heck you don't even need to wait till you get back really.  SmartDataFieldAnalyzerBoy can inform you / the client / on what's happening.  The client can even interact with the agent and give new directives or questions, limited amount.  Again I could see the devils advocate saying "you got email".  Well thats true to an extent.  But does the medium of IM make it easier.  Again thin client, chat driven UI, does that make it easier for me to digest, the "gist of it".  The agent can then spew his data to a server and other programs act on it from there. 

Scenario 2:

Homework for focus groups.  Every now and then and more so recently theres been an urge to get focus group particpants more in sync with whats about to occur in a focus group.  Like we want to get folks into what were about to talk about so their mind is thinking about it.  For example in one study on tire buying we had people bring in recent recipets on tires that had bought from the year or past years, in another study we asked people to fill out jounrals on yard work what they had to do, what was difficult, another study people filled out surveys online to tell us about their programming abilities and what they used for help, all of these pre-initatives could be done in some way, or with assistance via the agent.  The recruiter asks users to add the agent and the agent then interviews the subjects, or allows them to fill out info, the agent pro-actively talks to them thru out the week, getting them ready for the focus group.  The agent knows whos supposed to be in or not, and only talks to those with the proper name/account/pass info to get into him. 

Again its the aspect of IM and how it differs as a communication medium vs email or phone.  I think our recruiter would love it if we had this agent.  Sure there will always be the need for the personal touch, this isnt to replace that, the agent is to speed up a process, or help achive a process currently under fire.  We should just try it out really.  This kind of stuff isn't going away really.  I remember the service for the phone, you call and ask for movie info and it tells you etc.  Advises you where to eat etc.  Problem with that service initally was cost for one, and then the "here i am talking to a pc out loud", talking to a pc in IM isnt nearly as outworldly visible.  That and you dont have to stand there and say over and over a word that the pc doesnt understand on the other end. 

A little more indepth search on the net and theres a whole slew of these things out there with probably three or so worth while.  Depends on what you want.  I want a SDK and get some custom applications set in motion.  Some folks comment on SmarterChild's viral potential, I agree.  He or she that is gonna keep makin waves and folks stumble on it.  Its already making a wave thru the blogosphere.   Course then theres other bots as well. 

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Still playing with 43 things and delicious, getting more and more into this wired aspect of the living blogosphere ie we all connected space. 

Posted by dan at 11:17 AM | Permalink