On Tag Clouds
Interesting searching concept based on tag clouds which I haven’t comprehended yet.
If you want to follow my foot steps and caught by tag searching concept - one suggestion --> load their searching concept.
P.S. Was also amazed on how many people are climbing Google mountain.
Nasty lookups
The thing I want to write today is not strictly related to web development. In any database backed up application we see drop down lists, some people call them lookup fields too.
Some of them are pretty straight forward.
One of the examples will be an obvious ‘Status’ field.
If you scoped logic without a rush you may find that in your application it can be only 2 values -> Active/Inactive.
You will not create a database table to store two values, right?
You will create an array somewhere and a column type integer in table with name [status] type INTEGER.
Basically if users will ask you to create 'Pending' status you will use ‘2’ as a status code (0 - Active, 1 - Inactive) in a table and you will add it to array but you will also to do a lot of code changes as most likely a new status will also change business logic of your application.
Another type of list is a list which users want to control.
They can add, edit and even delete (subject to foreign key validation of course) values which are used later on a web form.
To be simple let’s decide that we collect ‘How did you hear about us’ and it is absolutely crucial for our business.
We created a list (table) called ‘References’ and we display values on users registration page in a form of drop down. We created out application in 199’s and we had only one option ‘Search engine’. Now our marketing department is absolutely nuts about separating one entry into 5 major search engines where we advertise.
What to do? What could we do if we knew about such possibility when we were planning our application in 199’s?
Obviously there is no way to (re)ask all registered customers now. The only thing we can do is to change something to be able to keep our marketing department happy from now on.
I came up with the following concept but would like to hear a feedback or other ideas.
Let’s say we did not take in account possibility to split in a past but want to do it now.
- We add additional field into table [reference] called [f_inactive] type INTEGER NOT NULL
- We create web interface for marketing to change this flag value as a simple checkbox (1 - inactive, 0 - active)
- We rewrite ‘How did you hear about us’ control on a page to show only active records from [reference] table. New registrations will not see it.
- Marketing department now can rename ‘Search engine’ into ‘Search engine (deprecated)’ and make it inactive
- Marketing department can create 5 new records for search engines they pay for click advertising
- (IMPORTANT) We change code to allow reports and searches to use all values (active AND inactive) to let marketing to run reports
- (IMPORTANT) We change code to allow users to edit/update their profile in a specific way - if reference choosen was ‘Search engine’ they can save changes in their profile with this option but if their choice was originally ‘Yellow pages’ they will not be able to save it with ‘Search engine’ we will not even show this option for such users as it is inactive now.
My summary:
In situation when values linked to business logic (‘Status’ in my post) - store them hard coded (array in settings file or similar).
In situation when values not linked do business logic (‘How did you hear about us’ in my post) - use [f_inactive] flag and program its handling in a code making it marketing department head ache to control values rather than yours.
What I am expecting?
I am expecting it is not the best solution and hoping to read about best or at least better one below
Something to smile about or … Web 2.0 depends on Human 2.0 heavily
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[color=“#483D8B”][center]Fig 1 DLink Australia [/center]
Memories, All Alone in the Moonlight…
It could be so easy to find out memory specs by label (sometimes).
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 1 Go figure by Kingston Technology[/center]
Page shown on Fig 1 has control shown on Fig 2 (bottom of the page) - reference
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 2 Collecting feedback from each and every page![/color][/center]
Two notes:
- I wonder when you will say 'Not sure' as an answer to question 'Was this page helpful?'
- I will not show section "Optional information" if user selected 'Yes' as enough is enough when user was generous enough to acknowledge page usefulness. Will you bother to explain site owners why particular page was useful?
My virtual storage
After storage meter became a history on YahooMail I started using it as a virtual storage.
[color=“#483D8B”][[center][/center]
[center]Fig 1 History[/center]
Installation instructions:
- Create a folder 'Files'
- To put document just email it to yourself and move to folder created in 1
- Additional benefit on top of files availability from any internet connected PC - very easy to send a file to somebody else (Forward it and you are done)
[color=“#483D8B”][center][/center]
[center]Fig 2 YahooMail as a virtual storage[/color][/center]
LG - not only "good" at web site design
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 1 LG Sync think interface[/center]
The Gods Must Be Crazy
Must see for front end designers.
It is monumental - CHECKED and DISABLED box on popup saying 'Do not show this message again'
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 1 Glad Akio Morita won't see it[/center]
P.S. You can guess I am switching mobiles today
They feel my pain - (Basecamp by 37signals)
I always use an opportunity to look at systems similar to one we design to learn some new ways of interface design.
So far I created a Recruiting Application on SalesForce (which is fully described in their free book), looked at FogBugz and finally at FogBugz.
Sometimes I see illogical things or bugs and I always trying to tell developers on them as I would like to be told if only my application was available for public.
As for SalesForce I did not even try to tell what I spot - they are too big and I know what it means - nothing will happen. As simple as this.
FogBugz - best so far. They are not big and well managed.
Quick human response, questions, explanations - you feel like you talk to your own team.
Today is BaseCamp turn. I have sent pictures shown below and have not heard anything back.
They wrote very good book - 'Get Real'. I have just finished reading it before I looked at BaseCamp.
[quote]At 37signals, all of our support emails are answered personally by the people who actually build the product. Why? First off, it provides better support for customers. They're getting a response straight from the brain of someone who built the app. Also, it keeps us in touch with the people who use our products and the problems they're encountering. When they're frustrated, we're frustrated. We can say, "I feel your pain" and actually mean it.
FogBugz[/quote]
Book is book and life is life. FogBugz
The reason why I emailed my feedback - their FogBugz do not allow attachments. How one can explain things you can see below in words?
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 1 One List with two items inside[/center]
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 2 I think it is basics
(pasted from PHP documentation site which was opened near by)[/color][/center]
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 3 Only eye can see[/color][/center]
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 4 Consistency versus … [/color][/center]
New registration experience - dotProject
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 1 Requires Answer and CAPTCHA[/center]
I refreshed page and extracted some questions new members will face:
- How many minutes are in one hour?
[*]Is dotProject available in languages other than English
[*]Does dotProject include external authentication
[*]How many seconds are in one minute?
[*]Enter "dotProject" in the following box
[*]2+5 equals...
[*]Is this the main place to get free dotProject support
[*]Does dotProject backup/import/export
[*]How many hours (to the nearest integer) are in a day? 24 - [b][i]like this one[/i][/b]
[*]Is the dotProject Development Team a great bunch of people - [b][i]they are joking here[/i][/b]
[*]Does dotProject include reports
[*]Are Dogs better Pets than Cats - [b][i]I have got this one which I answered about 5 times incorrectly - every time I had to retype password twice and enter CAPTCHA[/i][/b]
It is interesting how you supposed to know about dotProject features if you just about to join their forum?
[b]Suggestions:[/b]
[list]
[*]Is there a God?
[*]Do radioactive cats have 18 half-lives?
[*]Is there life out there?
[*]Will you have sex tomorrow?
[*]How many times have you answered this question incorrectly?
[/list]
[quote]Suggestions:
- Is there a God?
[*]Do radioactive cats have 18 half-lives?
[*]Is there life out there?
[*]Will you have sex tomorrow?
[*]How many times have you answered this question incorrectly?
That made me laugh.
I did not waste my time then
Power of universality
I saw this picture amongst Brad Fitzpatrick's (man behind LiveJournal) pictures and decided to look at Ebay to see if they are different than Amazon.
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 1[/center]
lol, i love the dotProject post above. I love your suggestions for new questions as well. =D.
Regarding the Kingston RAM post, it is probably not too obvious, but usually most RAM manufacturer use their part number as the specification of the RAM module, so it is pretty apparent that the Kingston Part Number is KTC PR266/512. (266Mhz, 512MB). So now you have 50 - 50 % chance of getting the Distributor or Mfr Equiv number right. But with the part number you can search for it already =).
It does allow to search by any single criteria (do not need Distributor and Mfr Equiv number).
Still do not get why Kingston Part Number is KTC not KPN
Thank you
Respect to the standards - Adobe
I thought of agreement:
- pointer - submenu
- dots (…) - next screen will have more options (read pop-up)
- nothing - action
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 1 'Check for Updates…' has dots … [/center]
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 2 … but triggers action[/color][/center]
Voting for 'Check for Updates' without dots.
[quote]It does allow to search by any single criteria (do not need Distributor and Mfr Equiv number).
Still do not get why Kingston Part Number is KTC not KPN
Thank you :)[/quote]
KTC stand for Kingston Technology Company, the official name of Kingston. =)
Symantec keyhole into customer satisfaction
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 1 No Comments[/center]
Be aware …
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 1 YahooMail may contain spelling errors[/center]
P.S. Clarification - originally I thought that they forgot to add 'SpellCheck' button on Reply screen but now I am completely lost.
I have just checked Compose New, Reply and Forward and there is no 'SpellCheck' button anywhere and I am sure I used it many times.
Hmmm… Could it be that Yahoo system just switches it off when their servers reach certain load? What you think?
Continuation of my dotProject forums registration post
[quote]As surprising as this may seem - we thought about the nature of the questions / answers quite a lot. They were written and checked by English and non-English speakers on purpose and were designed to be as simple as we could make them and not “machine” guessable at the same time.
There are a range of them and some of the include mathematical computations - which are, on purpose, not the only options.
[right]post[/right][/quote]
What I can say - I have never saw CAPTCHA and some other spam fighting tecnique anywhere else during registration.
Even though I agree that dogs are better pets than cats I will accept that this is not true for somebody else as well as to assume that people know if my product ‘include external authentication’ when they want to join forum.
'Money, money…must be funny…In the rich man's world' - ING Super "Arrival"
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 1 Meditating on Date Selector[/center]
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[center][color=“#483D8B”]Fig 2 Unexpected expected (works the other way around too)[/color][/center]