1. Things of note:

    • I recently became unemployed.
    • I am available to make your things look better!
    • I am available to put your things on display on the internet.
    • I am available to make your things on display on the internet look better! 

    Things you can do to help me be less poor:

    (Source: whatjewsay)

  2. Issues in Honest vs Evil usability design Meanwhile on Reddit: If you do this on your site, FUCK YOU. One of the conversations that ensued, (this is not all branches of conversation, each blockquote is a reply to the line above it): ———————————- vectoredzev Welcome to the world of Dark Patterns…. Evil Usability Design… http://wiki.darkpatterns.org/Home ———————————- b3mus3d Whether you agree with it not, I don’t think this qualifies as ‘User Interfaces Designed to Trick People’, does it? ——————————— carlhuber Yeah it’s not tricking, it’s abusing. ———————————— mercurycreative  How is this abusive? If they asked for your credit card information would that be abusive? If you don’t like the terms of the agreement don’t download the product. ———————————- vectoredzev My concern with your statement, is you dont know how the product was offered. Was it offered, free, no commitment? Or was it a paid product. Either way, no one should be REQUIRED to publicize something before downloading it. It should only be an option. You mercurycreative are supporting evil design. ———————————- mercurycreative  Assuming the product was free, then I see no issue with this. It is neither abusive nor “evil design”. It is a creative barter agreement. They give you the content for free in exchange for you providing a little publicity. If you don’t wish to participate then look elsewhere for the product. It doesn’t appear that they ask you to support it or evangelize the product, just state that you downloaded it. This company is not REQUIRED to give you the product for free. They can offer you any form of exchange for the download they like. You are free to accept the terms or move on. Angry Birds does this to unlock levels. Is that abusive? Or a creative way to get marketing and engage the friends of a user? We need to start thinking of new ways to engage, market and monetize websites and their products. It’s all well and good to demand that everything be free and catered to your whims, but your clients need to make money off of their products. Either you be the creative person thinking up of new ways to market or someone else will take your job. EDIT: This wasn’t even an example from something in the wild. It’s from a demohttp://tutorialzine.com/2011/05/tweet-to-download-jquery/ ———————————- vectoredzev Btw. I posted a live version of one, down below. People use it, just not with that text, so its harder to find. Seriously, go read the website I linked to. Dark Patterns. You might learn something. What this tool did is not about engagement, its about being viral, and not in the good way. In forcing your name throughout the web. Tools like this are not an example of good experience, product, and branding. It’s an example of manipulation. Offer a product, with a requirement. The same way capitalism works. You mention marketing and monetizing. You’re right, that is exactly… EXACTLY what this is doing. But it’s not doing it in a reputable way. The point of Dark Patterns is to point out the ways companies “Monetize” and retain their users. But they do it without giving an option. In Louis CK’s iAmA here on Reddit. He pointed out that the LAST thing he did on his site was decide whether or not to let users “opt in” or “opt out” of the newsletter. That was his decision. He chose the default option to be “Opt Out”, and in doing so, gained the respect of more than a handful of his users. Which replied by thanking him in the AMA and supporting his album, which only cost $5. There is a difference between creative engagement and ruthless entrapment. That’s where the line is drawn between good and bad memorable & forgettable products. ———————————- mercurycreative I have read it. Which dark pattern do you believe this site is employing? ———————————- vectoredzev  While the costs are minute: http://wiki.darkpatterns.org/Hidden_Costs Also,http://wiki.darkpatterns.org/Misdirection And,http://wiki.darkpatterns.org/Road_Block You pick. The end… for now…. I dont know if the convo continued… but that’s what I was a part of. What do you think?

    Issues in Honest vs Evil usability design

    Meanwhile on Reddit:

    If you do this on your site, FUCK YOU.

    One of the conversations that ensued, (this is not all branches of conversation, each blockquote is a reply to the line above it):

    ———————————-

    vectoredzev

    Welcome to the world of Dark Patterns…. Evil Usability Design…

    http://wiki.darkpatterns.org/Home

    ———————————-

    b3mus3d

    Whether you agree with it not, I don’t think this qualifies as ‘User Interfaces Designed to Trick People’, does it?

    ———————————

    carlhuber

    Yeah it’s not tricking, it’s abusing.

    ————————————

    mercurycreative 

    How is this abusive? If they asked for your credit card information would that be abusive? If you don’t like the terms of the agreement don’t download the product.

    ———————————-

    vectoredzev

    My concern with your statement, is you dont know how the product was offered. Was it offered, free, no commitment? Or was it a paid product.

    Either way, no one should be REQUIRED to publicize something before downloading it.

    It should only be an option.

    You mercurycreative are supporting evil design.

    ———————————-

    mercurycreative 

    Assuming the product was free, then I see no issue with this. It is neither abusive nor “evil design”. It is a creative barter agreement. They give you the content for free in exchange for you providing a little publicity. If you don’t wish to participate then look elsewhere for the product. It doesn’t appear that they ask you to support it or evangelize the product, just state that you downloaded it.

    This company is not REQUIRED to give you the product for free. They can offer you any form of exchange for the download they like. You are free to accept the terms or move on.

    Angry Birds does this to unlock levels. Is that abusive? Or a creative way to get marketing and engage the friends of a user?

    We need to start thinking of new ways to engage, market and monetize websites and their products. It’s all well and good to demand that everything be free and catered to your whims, but your clients need to make money off of their products. Either you be the creative person thinking up of new ways to market or someone else will take your job.

    EDIT: This wasn’t even an example from something in the wild. It’s from a demohttp://tutorialzine.com/2011/05/tweet-to-download-jquery/

    ———————————-

    vectoredzev

    Btw. I posted a live version of one, down below. People use it, just not with that text, so its harder to find.

    Seriously, go read the website I linked to. Dark Patterns. You might learn something.

    What this tool did is not about engagement, its about being viral, and not in the good way. In forcing your name throughout the web.

    Tools like this are not an example of good experience, product, and branding. It’s an example of manipulation. Offer a product, with a requirement.

    The same way capitalism works. You mention marketing and monetizing. You’re right, that is exactly… EXACTLY what this is doing. But it’s not doing it in a reputable way.

    The point of Dark Patterns is to point out the ways companies “Monetize” and retain their users. But they do it without giving an option.

    In Louis CK’s iAmA here on Reddit. He pointed out that the LAST thing he did on his site was decide whether or not to let users “opt in” or “opt out” of the newsletter. That was his decision. He chose the default option to be “Opt Out”, and in doing so, gained the respect of more than a handful of his users. Which replied by thanking him in the AMA and supporting his album, which only cost $5.

    There is a difference between creative engagement and ruthless entrapment.

    That’s where the line is drawn between good and bad memorable & forgettable products.

    ———————————-

    mercurycreative

    I have read it. Which dark pattern do you believe this site is employing?

    ———————————-

    vectoredzev 

    While the costs are minute: http://wiki.darkpatterns.org/Hidden_Costs

    Also,http://wiki.darkpatterns.org/Misdirection

    And,http://wiki.darkpatterns.org/Road_Block

    You pick.

    The end… for now….

    I dont know if the convo continued… but that’s what I was a part of.

    What do you think?

  3. Check this out. It’s a UX/UI & Design based meetup, which is going to be happening the first Thursday of every. single. month. The people over at Thought Bot are hosting this and that’s pretty damn cool. Click through to RSVP using your twitter account (scroll down and see who else is attending). Obviously more people need to know about this so I’m not the only one showing off awesome stuff.

    Check this out. It’s a UX/UI & Design based meetup, which is going to be happening the first Thursday of every. single. month. The people over at Thought Bot are hosting this and that’s pretty damn cool.

    Click through to RSVP using your twitter account (scroll down and see who else is attending). Obviously more people need to know about this so I’m not the only one showing off awesome stuff.