Re: [PHP] What do you call the end-user?
On 19 Jul 2012 at 18:26, Tedd Sperling wrote: > First question: > > What do you call the people who ultimately use your code? I expect I'll call her "Dear". See, my app, a replacement for Eudora, is used by yours truly only at the mo. However, come time to upgrade SWMBO's Mini, which will run Lion or perhaps ML, Eudora will cease to function and I'll move her onto my app. > This question transcends your code working correctly, accurately, and securely > -- no need to comment on those aspects. But rather more specifically do you > consider how easily your "whomever" can use your work efforts? In principle, yes. But that's a bit hard at the moment. -- Cheers -- Tim -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
Re: [PHP] What do you call the end-user?
On Jul 20, 2012, at 0:59, "Adam Nicholls" wrote: > Personally if I'm feeling a bit cheeky I'll go with "Muggle" - (thanks to J K > Rowling!) - people just don't appreciate the magic involved behind the scenes > in usability, infrastructure, application logic etc. Wow. I really, really (, really) hate to admit it, but that actually fits extremely well. Damn. -- Bob Williams Notice: This communication, including attachments, may contain information that is confidential. It constitutes non-public information intended to be conveyed only to the designated recipient(s). If the reader or recipient of this communication is not the intended recipient, an employee or agent of the intended recipient who is responsible for delivering it to the intended recipient, or if you believe that you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail and promptly delete this e-mail, including attachments without reading or saving them in any manner. The unauthorized use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this e-mail, including attachments, is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this email in error, please notify us immediately by e-mail or telephone and delete the e-mail and the attachments (if any). -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
RE: [PHP] What do you call the end-user?
> -Original Message- > From: Tedd Sperling [mailto:t...@sperling.com] > Sent: 19 July 2012 18:27 > To: php-general@lists.php.net General > Subject: [PHP] What do you call the end-user? > > What do you call the people who ultimately use your code? > > I call them the "end-user", but others have stated other terms, such as > "customer" or "user". > > Cheers, > > tedd > > > t...@sperling.com > http://sperling.com I suppose if you're working in Agile, you could also call them Stakeholders or the Product Owner. Personally if I'm feeling a bit cheeky I'll go with "Muggle" - (thanks to J K Rowling!) - people just don't appreciate the magic involved behind the scenes in usability, infrastructure, application logic etc. Thanks Adam. = This email is intended solely for the recipient and is confidential and not for third party unauthorised distribution. If an addressing or transmission error has misdirected this email, please notify the author by replying to this email or notifying the system manager (online.secur...@hl.co.uk). If you are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, distribute, copy, print or rely on this email. Any opinions expressed in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hargreaves Lansdown. In addition, staff are not authorised to enter into any contract through email and therefore nothing contained herein should be construed as such. Hargreaves Lansdown makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained within this email. In particular, Hargreaves Lansdown does not accept responsibility for any changes made to this email after it was sent. Hargreaves Lansdown Asset Management Limited (Company Registration No 1896481), Hargreaves Lansdown Fund Managers Limited (No 2707155), Hargreaves Lansdown Pensions Direct Limited (No 3509545) and Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers Limited (No 1822701) are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and registered in England and Wales. The registered office for all companies is One College Square South, Anchor Road, Bristol, BS1 5HL. Telephone: 0117 988 9880 __ This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service. For more information please visit http://www.symanteccloud.com __
Re: [PHP] What do you call the end-user?
On Thu, Jul 19, 2012 at 06:57:53PM -0400, admin wrote: [snip] > > LOL Paul, > You are so very spot on, I have a current customer who would like > the website to just load when he logs in. I wish I had not agreed to writing > him a startup script to load the interface for him because NOW he wants it > to auto login for him. They use a random key generator as a portion on their > login authentication. So let's see: The system sends you a report every hour > on the hour. You no longer have to navigate to the interface. It auto logs > into the system for you. > > I pander to these kind of people like there is no tomorrow when they are the > ones who sign the check, because anything outside of scope cost BIG TIME. :) > I have gone so far to create training aids that are system mimics to explain > to them what they are doing wrong and what the next step is. I use to write > SCO compliant learning systems and let me tell you there is NO such thing as > idiot proof. My wife and I were discussing something tangential to this the other day. When people are young, they engage in all sorts of silly things that waste time. But when you get older, your time becomes progressively more valuable to you. In this case, I wouldn't want to waste my time on what you describe. I don't care how big the check is. I have too many other more important things to do with my time. Paul -- Paul M. Foster http://noferblatz.com http://quillandmouse.com -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
Re: [PHP] What do you call the end-user?
On Thu, Jul 19, 2012 at 12:26 PM, Tedd Sperling wrote: > Hi gang: > > I can't wait for tomorrow -- so here's my off-topic post today. > > First question: > > What do you call the people who ultimately use your code? It all depends on where and how my code is ultimately used. If it is code that someone sitting at a browser making requests that end up running code I wrote, they are a user, or where there needs to be clarification, and end user. > I call them the "end-user", but others have stated other terms, such as > "customer" or "user". Again, it sort of depends on the disposition of the code I wrote. In any case, "customer" to me implies some sort of delivery possibly for remuneration. Customers tend to be singular for any given package (not meaning exclusive) and some kind of contract is held between us. I don't run any commercial sites for my own benefit, otherwise the term customer might expand to people buying or trading things with me via that site, in which case those customers become a subset of end users as well. Isn't this fun? In the case where I'm developing a portion of a product that another developer may pick up an use in application, they are "using" my code, but are definitely quite distinct from an end-user or a customer. Sometimes they might be called a "partner", but not always. > Second question: > > Are you concerned with their ("whomever") experience in using your code? All those various constituents have needs whom I may wish to address. The end-user, obviously has need to be able to transact their business in as easy a fashion as possible, and being able to trust the chain of software and hardware that will carry out those wishes. The customer needs to be able to trust in the product or service they are buying, but equally, to be able to understand and navigate whatever process is in place for our transaction. And the development partner, as well, needs to be able to trust that the package I'm producing is documented well enough, and it is clear and as easy as possible to integrate with their own software. > This question transcends your code working correctly, accurately, and > securely -- no need to comment on those aspects. But rather more specifically > do you consider how easily your "whomever" can use your work efforts? > > As you may have guessed - I just attended a UX conference and they provide an > interesting perspective on UX. I was wondering how php developers typically > address the subject. This sort of thing is not only applicable to UX needs, but to many other areas as well. It's also not limited to any particular interface, but how that interface changes and evolves over time, and it's responsiveness to the various constituents' needs. > Cheers, > > tedd > > > t...@sperling.com > http://sperling.com > > > -- > PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) > To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php > -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
RE: [PHP] What do you call the end-user?
-Original Message- From: Paul M Foster [mailto:pa...@quillandmouse.com] Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2012 6:31 PM To: php-general@lists.php.net Subject: Re: [PHP] What do you call the end-user? On Thu, Jul 19, 2012 at 01:26:50PM -0400, Tedd Sperling wrote: > Hi gang: > > I can't wait for tomorrow -- so here's my off-topic post today. > > First question: > > What do you call the people who ultimately use your code? > > I call them the "end-user", but others have stated other terms, such > as "customer" or "user". "User", because I'm writing the code for *my* customer. The person actually exposed to my code may or may not be a customer of anyone. They may simply be an internet surfer at my customer's site. > > Second question: > > Are you concerned with their ("whomever") experience in using your > code? > > This question transcends your code working correctly, accurately, and > securely -- no need to comment on those aspects. But rather more > specifically do you consider how easily your "whomever" can use your > work efforts? > > As you may have guessed - I just attended a UX conference and they > provide an interesting perspective on UX. I was wondering how php > developers typically address the subject. I'm interested in user experience to a limited extent. My interest stops when a user wants the code to wipe their nose for them. "Can we make the website automatically update our accounting system and then write a check for the cost of goods to the vendor? Sure. How much money do you have?" (Their accounting system is some inscrutable pile of Windows COM objects, like SAP, behind a firewall. And they don't even know which vendor to write the check to. I guess mental telepathy is a part of the PHP libraries not installed on my development system.) Or "when someone sends the form on the website for an appointment request, can you make a reminder pop up on all the desktops in the office? No, I can't. Here's an idea: assign someone to check the email for appointment requests throughout the day, and contact the customer to confirm, based on you actually *looking* at your appointment calendar." Sheesh. Apparently, computers (not mine) are capable of performing magic tricks. I think my screens should be fairly self-explanatory, if possible. But I'm averse to making them idiot-proof. If you're an idiot, get someone else to operate your computer for you. You shouldn't be using one. But there may be times when a computer screen or set of screens will absolutely require some training, rather than someone completely unfamiliar with the workings of the office just sitting down and being able to guess how to operate the system. You didn't learn to drive by just sitting in a car and guessing how it is done. Don't expect a web-based application to be operable simply by guessing, necessarily. By the way, I'm quite happy to write documentation for systems. Unfortunately, more than half the people who read anything can't actually *apply* what they read to whatever system they're working with. Supposedly they can read. But somehow they still need someone to explain it to them, no matter how good the docs are. Paul -- Paul M. Foster http://noferblatz.com http://quillandmouse.com -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php --- LOL Paul, You are so very spot on, I have a current customer who would like the website to just load when he logs in. I wish I had not agreed to writing him a startup script to load the interface for him because NOW he wants it to auto login for him. They use a random key generator as a portion on their login authentication. So let's see: The system sends you a report every hour on the hour. You no longer have to navigate to the interface. It auto logs into the system for you. I pander to these kind of people like there is no tomorrow when they are the ones who sign the check, because anything outside of scope cost BIG TIME. :) I have gone so far to create training aids that are system mimics to explain to them what they are doing wrong and what the next step is. I use to write SCO compliant learning systems and let me tell you there is NO such thing as idiot proof. -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
Re: [PHP] What do you call the end-user?
On Thu, Jul 19, 2012 at 01:26:50PM -0400, Tedd Sperling wrote: > Hi gang: > > I can't wait for tomorrow -- so here's my off-topic post today. > > First question: > > What do you call the people who ultimately use your code? > > I call them the "end-user", but others have stated other terms, such > as "customer" or "user". "User", because I'm writing the code for *my* customer. The person actually exposed to my code may or may not be a customer of anyone. They may simply be an internet surfer at my customer's site. > > Second question: > > Are you concerned with their ("whomever") experience in using your > code? > > This question transcends your code working correctly, accurately, and > securely -- no need to comment on those aspects. But rather more > specifically do you consider how easily your "whomever" can use your > work efforts? > > As you may have guessed - I just attended a UX conference and they > provide an interesting perspective on UX. I was wondering how php > developers typically address the subject. I'm interested in user experience to a limited extent. My interest stops when a user wants the code to wipe their nose for them. "Can we make the website automatically update our accounting system and then write a check for the cost of goods to the vendor? Sure. How much money do you have?" (Their accounting system is some inscrutable pile of Windows COM objects, like SAP, behind a firewall. And they don't even know which vendor to write the check to. I guess mental telepathy is a part of the PHP libraries not installed on my development system.) Or "when someone sends the form on the website for an appointment request, can you make a reminder pop up on all the desktops in the office? No, I can't. Here's an idea: assign someone to check the email for appointment requests throughout the day, and contact the customer to confirm, based on you actually *looking* at your appointment calendar." Sheesh. Apparently, computers (not mine) are capable of performing magic tricks. I think my screens should be fairly self-explanatory, if possible. But I'm averse to making them idiot-proof. If you're an idiot, get someone else to operate your computer for you. You shouldn't be using one. But there may be times when a computer screen or set of screens will absolutely require some training, rather than someone completely unfamiliar with the workings of the office just sitting down and being able to guess how to operate the system. You didn't learn to drive by just sitting in a car and guessing how it is done. Don't expect a web-based application to be operable simply by guessing, necessarily. By the way, I'm quite happy to write documentation for systems. Unfortunately, more than half the people who read anything can't actually *apply* what they read to whatever system they're working with. Supposedly they can read. But somehow they still need someone to explain it to them, no matter how good the docs are. Paul -- Paul M. Foster http://noferblatz.com http://quillandmouse.com -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
Re: [PHP] What do you call the end-user?
On Jul 19, 2012, at 1:54 PM, "admin" wrote: > My goal in life has been to develop the ultimate portal that thinks for you > and less dependent on your interactions. I am close to finishing a learning > module that learns from your interactions and navigates according to your > past history. But that is for another time If not now, when? It sounds very interesting. Cheers, tedd _ t...@sperling.com http://sperling.com -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
RE: [PHP] What do you call the end-user?
-Original Message- From: Tedd Sperling [mailto:t...@sperling.com] Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2012 1:27 PM To: php-general@lists.php.net General Subject: [PHP] What do you call the end-user? Hi gang: I can't wait for tomorrow -- so here's my off-topic post today. First question: What do you call the people who ultimately use your code? I call them the "end-user", but others have stated other terms, such as "customer" or "user". Second question: Are you concerned with their ("whomever") experience in using your code? This question transcends your code working correctly, accurately, and securely -- no need to comment on those aspects. But rather more specifically do you consider how easily your "whomever" can use your work efforts? As you may have guessed - I just attended a UX conference and they provide an interesting perspective on UX. I was wondering how php developers typically address the subject. Cheers, tedd t...@sperling.com http://sperling.com -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php I call them the GUI between the Chair and the Key board (behind the scenes)! To their face/documented I call them the "End-user" I do however break this down into "tier level access users" depending on access desires. >From straw dog to functioning portal the (easy, flow, and navigation) is always designed for the most novice of users is HIGH priority. This area gets a little hairy with different levels of knowledge are concerns. Some want a point to point (Walk Trough scenario) and others want more complex features as options. Reports, in my mind the most complex portion of any development because of the mash of conceptual ideas of what the end product should look like. These areas are rarely novice compliant, because of the sheer complexity of filtering options desired. I stick to a "Canned Report" approach when dealing with novice end-users. My goal in life has been to develop the ultimate portal that thinks for you and less dependent on your interactions. I am close to finishing a learning module that learns from your interactions and navigates according to your past history. But that is for another time -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
Re: [PHP] What do you call the end-user?
Tedd Sperling wrote: I can't wait for tomorrow -- so here's my off-topic post today. First question: What do you call the people who ultimately use your code? I call them the "end-user", but others have stated other terms, such as "customer" or "user". If they are paying they are customers, if they are freeloading they are users. Second question: Are you concerned with their ("whomever") experience in using your code? This question transcends your code working correctly, accurately, and securely -- no need to comment on those aspects. But rather more specifically do you consider how easily your "whomever" can use your work efforts? As you may have guessed - I just attended a UX conference and they provide an interesting perspective on UX. I was wondering how php developers typically address the subject. I have an application which has evolved over 20 years, but still does essentially what it did 20 years ago. It was ported to PHP to replace it's own alphnumeric terminals around 2000 but still uses the basic functionality that the original hardware provided. The nice thing about PHP is that it while the original stuff was all hard coded programs and changes were difficult, with PHP we can adjust things easily. Probably a little too easily, but molding things to each sites personal preferences is something that could not be done originally. So we tailor the user side to reflect local workflow rather than forcing a one size fits all solution that we had before. -- Lester Caine - G8HFL - Contact - http://lsces.co.uk/wiki/?page=contact L.S.Caine Electronic Services - http://lsces.co.uk EnquirySolve - http://enquirysolve.com/ Model Engineers Digital Workshop - http://medw.co.uk Rainbow Digital Media - http://rainbowdigitalmedia.co.uk -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
RE: [PHP] What do you call the end-user?
Hi, I have always held that the opinion of the end-user/customer is the most important goal in any systems development project, small or large, regardless of the programming language/environment. The database structure, programming, and interfaces are your product. If folks don't like it or can't figure out how to use it or can't wait until something better comes along, your product won't survive long in the marketplace. This attitude should also be held for developers creating in-house solutions as well. While management may have an overall goal for the purpose of the programming, the people who will eventually be the ones typing/clicking their way through your programs are the ones to ultimately satisfy. This means more pro-active design work with the front line users is always advisable to create long lasting programs/systems. I use mostly PHP to create web-based interface screens for AS400 programs in a manufacturing environment. I can spend all the time I want programming the next greatest program, but if the guys in the plant don't/won't use it, I have completely wasted my time. My two cents. Thanks, Jeff Burcher - IT Dept Allred Metal Stamping PO Box 2566 High Point, NC 27261 (336)886-5221 x229 j...@allredmetal.com > -Original Message- > From: Tedd Sperling [mailto:t...@sperling.com] > Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2012 1:27 PM > To: php-general@lists.php.net General > Subject: [PHP] What do you call the end-user? > > Hi gang: > > I can't wait for tomorrow -- so here's my off-topic post today. > > First question: > > What do you call the people who ultimately use your code? > > I call them the "end-user", but others have stated other terms, such as > "customer" or "user". > > Second question: > > Are you concerned with their ("whomever") experience in using your code? > > This question transcends your code working correctly, accurately, and > securely -- no need to comment on those aspects. But rather more > specifically do you consider how easily your "whomever" can use your work > efforts? > > As you may have guessed - I just attended a UX conference and they provide > an interesting perspective on UX. I was wondering how php developers > typically address the subject. > > Cheers, > > tedd > > > t...@sperling.com > http://sperling.com > > > -- > PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: > http://www.php.net/unsub.php -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
Re: [PHP] What do you call the end-user?
On Thu, Jul 19, 2012 at 1:26 PM, Tedd Sperling wrote: > > What do you call the people who ultimately use your code? If they're using the *code*, then "user" or "developer." If they're using the finished product (site, application, or results thereof), then "end-user," "customer," "visitor," or "subscriber" work just fine. Ultimately, the term "end-user" signifies a bookend-like link in the chain, such as a subscriber; the opposite bookend would be the producer or creator, with connecting links being the publisher, provider, distributor, perscriptionist, reseller, and so forth. > Are you concerned with their ("whomever") experience in using your code? > > This question transcends your code working correctly, accurately, and > securely -- no need to comment on those aspects. But rather more specifically > do you consider how easily your "whomever" can use your work efforts? > > As you may have guessed - I just attended a UX conference and they provide an > interesting perspective on UX. I was wondering how php developers typically > address the subject. Overall, no. If it's going to be user-facing and not just systems interpretation (automation, AI, et cetera), then I leave that up to the UX folks. I work on the functionality and logic, they work on the flow and presentation. -- Network Infrastructure Manager http://www.php.net/ -- PHP General Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php