Microsoft’s Digital Experience…

Kint M: 11:02:20 PM

Welcome to the Microsoft Answer Desk! My name is Kint and how may I help you today?

You: 11:02:26 PM

I have just purchased Windows 8.1 download edition but, I can’t download it – the download link gives me an EXE file and not the ISO file for Windows 8.1 I don’t have a PC with windows running in order to run the exe file

Kint M: 11:03:49 PM

That’s a very tough situation to be in. Let’s work together to turn this around immediately. May I have your full name, email address and phone number please? It is for my documentation.

You: 11:04:04 PM

Anthony Franco xxx@gmail.com 720-xxx-xxxx

Kint M: 11:04:51 PM

Thank you Anthony. May I know what operating system you are currently using? Is it MAC?

You: 11:05:14 PM

yes, mac Mavericks I want to install windows on bootcamp

Kint M: 11:05:56 PM

I see. For you to be able to download the ISO file for Windows 8, you will really need to download it using a computer that is running Windows. You may need to ask someone you know that are using Windows computer Anthony.

You: 11:07:13 PM

I want a refund

Kint M: 11:08:23 PM

May I know why you want a refund Anthony?

You: 11:08:53 PM

In order for me to use your product, I need to have a copy of your product to use it do you understand the irony in that ? I don’t want to support a company that makes it this difficult to buy from them are you still there ?

Kint M: 11:11:07 PM

Yes I’m still here.

You: 11:11:10 PM

your website is now giving me errors that i’m not signed in anymore

Kint M: 11:12:28 PM

I understand where you are coming from Anthony. How about this, purchasing the back up disc for Windows 8.

You: 11:13:42 PM

so, make another purchase and wait for it to arrive in the mail ?

Kint M: 11:14:19 PM

Yes Anthony. approximately for about 5 to 10 business days.

You: 11:14:48 PM

that is not an acceptable solution

Kint M: 11:15:59 PM

Alright Anthony, for the refund, It is best that you contact our Microsoft store. I can provide you there contact information.

You: 11:16:25 PM

okay

Kint M: 11:16:30 PM

You can reach them at this number 1-877-696-7786 . Thank you for contacting Microsoft Answer Desk. Have a good day!

Your Answer Tech has ended your chat session. Thanks for visiting Answer Desk.

 

UGurus Interview on things I’m passionate about

Confession of a reformed technologist

Technologists have always pushed the boundaries of gathering and distributing information.Early in our history, we used stories, fables and myths to communicate values, lessons and historical context.

The invention of paper allowed us to record our history, and the printing press gave us the ability to distribute information to more than just the anointed few.

We declared the pen mightier than the sword and we endeavored to create faster ways of distributing the words we wrote. Napoleon’s semaphores, Morse’s telegraph, Bell’s telephone and Licklider’s Intergalactic Computer Network, were all inventions designed in the race to deliver faster, ubiquitous and affordable information.

Simultaneously, inventors sought to enhance human capabilities through mechanization.
Jacquard’s mechanical loom, Hollerith’s tabulating machine, Turing’s universal machine and the 1946 ENIAC, were all innovations designed in the race to automate human capabilities.

The arguably inevitable advances in telecommunications, storage, computing power and binary abstraction gave us the ability to commoditize delivery, infrastructure, platforms and software.

A pretentious monument of fiber, silicon and code.

I believe that we have sought only to solve problems as engineers, and not as empathetic human beings. and that we must lose our technophile bigotry before we become relegated to the ranks of tech support.

I believe our industry must abandon its desire to mechanize people by relegating them to “users”

We are now faced with innovating a new era for humanity. An era where the human condition will be transformed through the technology we design.

The infrastructure now exists for rapidly deploying advanced, scalable, and complex systems, but our legacy will be written by the interfaces we create.

It’s Time For How

For the last 8 years I have been blogging and speaking to convince companies why user experience matters. They now get it.

For the last year, we have seen exponential growth in our space. Even though my company, EffectiveUI, was the first, we are certainly no longer the only firm saying that designing for user need is critical for success. However, we are entering a time where those words are becoming commoditized. Just because a company understands how to talk about the value of what we do does not mean they understand the practice, the “how”.

I have made a conscious decision last year to focus my energy on defining the DNA of a successfully launched software product. I asked the EffectiveUI team, “end-to-end, what does it take to define and build something that meets business, user, and technical objectives?” I studied not only the strategy,  research and design practices, but also the development methodologies that are most successful.

It would be egotistical (or, should I say even more egotistical) for me to say the world should come to only us if they want to get things done in the right way. The entire team at EffectiveUi has recognized that our customers have a desire to use us to get the important projects our quickly, but also need to bring user experience in-house. This is a macro-trend right now; companies are scouring for UX talent while attempting to create their own UX culture.

To that end, we created an arm of EffectiveUI focused on education and training. For our customers, we have developed a flexible curriculum to help them adopt the world’s best practices. For the community, we have partnered with Galvanize’s gSchool to train the next generation of practitioners.

The gSchool philosophy is cleverly unique. They understand that intensive, skills-based learning is the future and, if their first offering is any indication, they have hit the nail on the head. Our program, geared for training “Experience Architects“, will train designers on how to work through all aspects of leading a user-experience focused design initiative.

I’m looking forward to helping our lead instructors teach the “how” in the coming year and watching the first class go on to build amazing products…

http://www.gschool.it/experiencearchitect/

 

 

Transparency in the Water Sector

This Hangout tackles questions such as: The shifting transparency debate: from expenditures to lasting impact Whether increased transparency improves quality of work Tools/techniques the sector is embracing to augment transparency

Water For People’s Ned Breslin hosts this discussion with our colleagues:
(Speakers from left to right)
Anthony Franco, EffectiveUI
James Leten, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)
Jennifer Platt, WASH Advocates
Patrick Moriarty, IRC
Rachel Cardone, Independent Consultant
Tom Murphy, A View from the Cave blog
Ned Breslin, Water For People
Binayak Das & Alexandra Malmqvist, Water Integrity Network