Boxes and Arrows: Comments by Mary Deaton

Mary Deaton — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:20:15 GMT

History and bookmarks are supposed to be the browser’s way to let you refind, but I am sure many people are like me and do so much searching and have bookmarked so many things that I may not even remember having done it.

Perhaps the solution is for browsers to become smart enough to analyze search text and tell you if you already have matches in your history or bookmarks (or let you search your history or bookmarks!)

Any site that lets you store bookmarks should also do it. I use del.icio.us and have noticed that it lets me post the same page twice!

Google Desktop searches to see if there is anything on my computer that matches my search, but I don’t think it searches my bookmarks or history. Should it?

Mary Deaton — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 17:33:47 GMT

But how much? I tell my clients, who pay the incentive, that the amount must show respect for the participant’s time and indicate how much we value their opinion. And different users need different incentives. Highly-paid IT professionals need a larger incentive than students because their time is already paid for at a high rate and I am competing with their hourly rate. Students, of course, need the incentive more, but usually are happy to get whatever is offered. I have also found that the amount of the incentive has a direct correlation to the number of drop-outs and no-shows.

I try to give cash or an Amazon certificate this is posted to participants each day at the end of testing; immediate gratification is especially welcomed by students, retirees, and people in average income jobs.

Mary Deaton — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 18:00:50 GMT

This article hit me where it hurts. My husband was told today he is getting laid off in two weeks from his product manager job. He is 57. I freelance part-time as an IA and usability specialist. I am 61. We both need to go out and look for work – more work in my case – and age is always at the backs of our minds. Although I have freelanced since 2000, the fact I owned my own consultancy and was a director-level manager in my corporate life leads potential clients and employers to believe I will not be happy as an individual contributor. For my husband, the issue is that he does not want to be a manager, a director, or a CEO. In many marketing departments, this is considered a major weakness. Whether we show up with great samples may not be enough.