I spend a fair amount of time looking over people's shoulders while instructing them on how to do various things on their computers. Of all the ways in which many people could improve their productivity, I think learning basic hotkeys would probably lead to the most noticeable results.
I had to deal with some pretty terrible software earlier today so I thought I'd share. I've been getting emails from my Alma Mater that I really have no interest in, so I clicked the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the email.
The end goal for any smart software developer is to create something that the users enjoy. It matters little what the software does as long as people like using it.
Here's some advice for anyone that ever needs to hire a programmer: Stop focusing so much on years of experience.
Have you ever done a quick Google search before buying a product to check out how other people feel? Doesn't it seem odd how overwhelmingly negative the comments generally are?
As you know, this blog advocates the use of better software. Since we're developers, we tend to focus on how programmers and designers can positively impact software.
Since we're still in the early days of Less Annoying Software, the business model is still a little up in the air. We've got a pretty good idea of what we want to do, but there are a few things standing in the way.
Today's topic is probably the #1 reason a lot of software sucks: inertia.
One of the keys to staying successful if you work with technology is the ability to predict what tools people will need in the future before anyone else does.