Remote Online Usability Testing: Why, How, and When to Use It. From the article: “…in-person usability testing isnt always feasible. Projects take longer than expected, budgets get tightened, and target users can be hard to come by. So whats a usability crusader to do when in-person usability testing is impossible? One option is to conduct… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: July 2003
Database of Weblogs
NITLE Blog Census. Glad to say that beSpacific is included in this MySQL database of over 600,000 weblogs published worldwide (net.law.blog). From the site’s About Page: The NITLE Blog Census is an attempt to create and share a regularly updated database of all known weblogs. The census has been active since early May, 2003. Our… Continue Reading
ALA Website to Get Another Makeover
Status Report on ALAs Redesigned Web Site. Continue Reading
Publisher Drops New Book Over DMCA Issue
Wiley Technology Publishing has determined that its publication of a planned forthcoming book, Hacking the Xbox, may have resulted in a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), prompting the author to find a new publisher, who plans to distribute the book later this month. Continue Reading
Yahoo Announces Purchase of Overture
Yahoo will pay $1.63 billion for Overture. Yahoo! Reports Second Quarter 2003 Financial Results (PDF), Company Posts Second Quarter Operating Income of $63 Million, Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization of $97 Million With One Sweep, Yahoo Regains Search Engine Dominance Why Google Should Be Worried Continue Reading
Study of Availability and Type of Search Engine Personalization Features
Search engine personalization: An exploratory study. From the abstract: “Findings show that: (1) eight (13 percent) of the 60 search engines, including Yahoo, AOL, Lycos, Excite and Netscape, enabled some level of personalization; and, (2) personalization features are largely related to e-mail, business and financial information, searching of a reference tool, such as yellow pages,… Continue Reading
Dept. of Interior Needs to Overhaul Web Operations
Problems with the Department of the Interior’s management and operations of its web sites is the focus of a recent Inspector General Report, issued in June. The introduction to the 42 page evaluation report (pdf) states that Interior “needs to manage its web sites more efficiently, cost-effectively, and securely; and focus on its customers.” Report… Continue Reading
State Focused Political Websites Generate Interest
The anonymous individuals who comprise the Publius Group have spun-off a series of state political websites since their launch in 2000 of PoliticsNJ, all of which include daily news briefs, feature articles, press releases from Congressional delegations, links to respective state/local government resources and sites, opinion/commentary pieces, and oh yes, lots of ads. Tomorrow they… Continue Reading
Survey of Electronic Access to State Government Information
State-by-State Report on Permanent Public Access to Electronic Government Information, June 2003, American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), 292 pages, pdf. “The purpose of this study was to assess the level of permanent public access to electronic government information across all state governments… The survey results reveal that no state is comprehensively addressing these challenges.… Continue Reading
The Government’s E-Authentication Program
From FCW: In the July 11 Federal Register you will find the General Services Administration’s draft policy outlining how federal agencies should validate the identities of users conducting business through e-government applications. e-Authentication home page Continue Reading
FTC Rules Out Do-Not Spam Registry
On the heels of the huge response (24.5 million registrants in 14 days) to the FTC’s Do Not Call Registry to block telemarketing solicitations, comes word that this program cannot be replicated to fight spam. Prepared Statement of the FTC on “Unsolicited Commercial Email,” by J. Howard Beales, III, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Before… Continue Reading
Report: The Internet Under Surveillance
The Internet under Surveillance, Obstacles to the free flow of information online, by Vinton G. Cerf (151 pages, pdf) “In this 21st century information age, Internauts have significant responsibilities. They must guard against abusive censorship and counteract misinformation. They must take responsibility for thoughtful use of the Internet and the World Wide Web and all… Continue Reading
