Boagworld Uncut

Here is a problem that has been driving me crazy that I have...

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:32:58 +0000

Here is a problem that has been driving me crazy that I have finally fixed.

Lets say I am using Evernote (although it could be any full screen app under Lion). I create a new note by clicking the appropriate button and I am immediately sent back to my first desktop away from Evernote and the new window. Most frustrating.

I have to manually select the new window and even then sometimes I am thrown back to the first app.

The problem is a hidden setting left over from my old Snow Leopard use of Spaces. Evernote (or whichever app you use) is set to open new windows in Desktop One.

To fix the problem ALT right click the icon in the dock and select Options > Assign To > None.

When you restart the application the problem will be fixed.

Hope that helps!

why I will be moving from O2

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:58:47 +0000

It just shows how important customer service is and how the unwritten agreement we make with our customers is just as important as the legal ones.

When I started out with O2 I had unlimited data as well as free wifi with the cloud and BT openzone. This made them perfect for me. I use my iPhone for web and email way more than I ever do for calls or txts.

Then with the most recent iPhone I was forced to move on to a new contract with a 500mb data cap. Don’t worry O2 says to me. Your average data use is only 162mb per month and you still have our free wifi with the cloud and Openzone.

Now I have never managed to get onto Open Zone (not sure why) but with the cloud and that data cap looked okay.

On month one I reached my cap. Again this month it is set to happen again. I am having to be careful how I use my phone. What is more they are now dropping support for the Cloud.

In my eyes this isn’t the service I signed up for. I am sure that by the letter of the law I am getting exactly what I agreed to. The point is I don’t FEEL it is and so I will be leaving at the end of my contract. Fortunately I was suspicious enough going in to only sign a 12 month contract.

Also tidied the office following @marcus67 example.

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:13:14 +0000

Also tidied the office following @marcus67 example.

Added a game room to my office :)

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:12:12 +0000

Added a game room to my office :)

"“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every..."

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 09:11:06 +0000

“

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”

“I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.”

”

- Three quotes by Winston Churchill.

This guy really is my hero. He has such an optimistic positive view of life.

"When we have clients who are thinking about Flash splash pages, we tell them to go to their local..."

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:49:06 +0100

““When we have clients who are thinking about Flash splash pages, we tell them to go to their local supermarket and bring a mime with them. Have the mime stand in front of the supermarket, and, as each customer tries to enter, do a little show that lasts two minutes, welcoming them to the supermarket and trying to explain the bread is on aisle six and milk is on sale today. Then stand back and count how many people watch the mime, how many people get past the mime as quickly as possible, and how many people punch the mime out. That should give you a good idea as to how well their splash page will be received.””

- Jared Spool has such a wonderful way with words :)

Myself, grammar and spelling - how people like to judge.

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:10:58 +0100

One of the biggest areas of criticism I receive is over my grammar and spelling. This came up once again on this weeks show following some comments by Dan Oliver the editor of .net magazine.

I get on with Dan very well and consider him a friend. However his light hearted teasing is unfortunately not the norm. Many judge me because of my shortcomings in this area. It is something I am very sensitive about and yet not something I can change.

I am always amused by how some view it. They consider my lazy or stupid. They use grammar as a weapon to dismiss my opinions and ideas.

In reality I read everything I wrote several times. I check it carefully. However I cannot see what others do. It is something I am simply no good at. Does that make me stupid? Does it mean I should not write? That I should not express my opinions?

Personally I believe what I say is more important than the way I say it. However I accept not everybody agrees. That is there right.

I am aware that some may choose to dismiss me because of my writing. I am also aware that sometimes it might even loose me business. But do you know what? I don’t care.

In fact I would go as far as saying I am pleased I am the way I am. If it alienates some people then that is probably good. These are not people I want to reach and certainly not people I want to work with.

I am not suggesting they are bad people. I am just suggesting that they are very different from me. They see the world in a different way and as a result we probably should not work together.

I will never be able to please people who care about spelling and grammar. It is just beyond my ability. They are better finding somebody would thinks as they think.

It is strange though. I can’t claim I “get” those obsessed with such things to the point where they would choose not to work with somebody like myself.

I am obsessed with design. I judge value based on design. However I do not expect everybody to be a good designer. I know for example that a developer can be great at his job and yet have a shockingly designed site.

Would I not hire him on that basis? Of course not. I wouldn’t hire him as a designer but I am not asking people to hire me as a writer. So then why does it matter so much that I cannot spell?

P.S. I haven’t even bothered reading through this post which no doubt will really piss off some people. I wonder therefore wether that undermines my argument in their eyes. Probably but then, I don’t want them to hire me anyway :)

Could you do me a favour

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:07:05 +0100

When I used to live in Portsmouth I was friends with an amazing couple who have since gone on to do some incredible work. Like many large cities Portsmouth has some very needy people. People who live below the poverty line and often are unable to even feed themselves.

Martin and Louise run a food bank which provides short term food supplies for those in desperate need. Its an amazing charity and one I would love for you to support.

Fortunately you supporting it won’t cost a penny. All it will take is about 2 minutes of your time. This is what you need to do:

1. Go to the Natwest Community Force website and register. Natwest Community Force is one of these funds that supports various charities. Yes, I know, none of us like registering for these things but it could lead to £6000 going to this charity.

2. Once registered check your email and confirm your registration.

3. Go to this entry and vote for it. You can find out all you need to know about the charity here as well.

I know its annoying me asking but it would mean so much to me and should only take a couple of minutes.

Do you think the separation of branding between boagworld and headscape is tied directly to the success of both? I've heard your podcasts about how it started, but in retrospect, would you say that the separation of your free podcast with your money-making business was essential?

BTW, you've done more to shape my ideas about good design/business strategy than anyone. Can't wait for season 2!

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 10:20:32 +0100

It’s hard to predict what would have happened if Boagworld had not existed and we chose to use the Headscape brand instead. However, I suspect that neither the blog or podcast would have been as successful.

I believe that the reason for this is because people would have associated a Headscape blog or podcast as a marketing tool. By separating this out from the Headscape brand we make the podcast feel more approachable and less salesy.

I also believe that the Boagworld Brand is much more personal than the Headscape brand because it is about me as an individual. Ultimately, I think we all prefer to interact and build relationships with real people rather than corporate brands.

"Constructing customer use cases from a disembodied database of issues is like trying to assemble a..."

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:28:46 +0100

“

Constructing customer use cases from a disembodied database of issues is like trying to assemble a massive puzzle from a jumble of mismatched puzzle pieces.

When customers share their story, they’re not just sharing pain points. They’re actually teaching you how to make your product, service, and business better. Your customer service organization should be designed to efficiently communicate those issues.

”

- http://www.instapaper.com/text?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alistapart.com%2Farticles%2Fbeing-human-is-good-business%2F&article=204361850

American TV is bring about its own demise. I have just watched...

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 16:12:47 +0100

American TV is bring about its own demise.

I have just watched the end of season 1 of Caprica. After a slow beginning the season really hotted up and I was blown away by the final 4 1/2 minutes (see above). I got really excited and instantly did a search to see when season 2 was going to be out.

Once again (like so many other shows) I was gutted to see it had been cancelled.

I should have known better. I have started avoiding watching season 1 of any show after countless dissapointments of shows that have been cancelled just after I got into them (e.g. Firefly and Dollshouse). However, I thought I was on safe ground with Caprica. After all it was a prequel to the phenomenally successful BSG. Surely the networks would have the intelligence to allow the show to have time to grow into itself.

How naive of me. Once again it has proved that the best thing for us consumers is to skip new shows on TV and instead torrent them once they reach their second or third season. That way we won’t waste time on a show that ultimately goes nowhere.

Nobody should have to write a card like this let alone an 11...

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 18:24:13 +0100

Nobody should have to write a card like this let alone an 11 year old boy. I am lost for words.

Loving the Olloclip for my iPhone. Takes such great macro shots

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:31:58 +0100

Loving the Olloclip for my iPhone. Takes such great macro shots

Are teenagers just mindless thugs who riot?

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:10:06 +0100

Sometimes a contrast can be so extreme and striking that it has a profound impact on you. The last week or so has been a classic example.

Like everybody else I have recently been watching pictures of teenagers (mainly) tearing our country apart. The media has labelled this generation of teenagers a “lost cause” and blame their cultural upbringing and communication medias for the anarchy we have seen in London.

After the steady diet of horror stories we have been fed it came as a stark contrast to arrive at Soul Survivor. Soul Survivor is a Christian festival for young people. 8,000 young people camping at the Bath and West Showground while participating in seminars, social action and worship.

In contrast to your preconceptions.

The atmosphere is so strange here. It feels wrong. Its so divorced from the image we are fed of young people as mindless thugs out for themselves. You feel like you should fear for your life as gangs of teenagers rampage around the place playing silly games, shouting and generally being rowdy. However, in actual fact it feels an amazingly safe, friendly place. Everybody is enthusiastic, caring and friendly (overly so sometimes in my humble opinion!). There is a sense of comradeship, family and putting others first.

Of course the fact that the vast majority of those here are Christians, almost certainly makes a difference. The peer pressure of the Christian faith will no doubt temper the greater excesses of teenager behaviour. However, I don’t believe such behaviour is limited to ‘nice middle class christian kids’.

Teenagers have deep passion.

I have run a youth group for 4 1/2 years now and the vast majority of those kids I have met are not Christian. Some have had severe learning difficulties and others have been thrown out of school for violence. However, without exception I have found good inside of them and many have shown me exceptional kindness.

My belief is that teenagers can be some of the most energetic, passionate, enthusiastic people you ever would wish to meet. I also believe they can be the most caring too. Feelings run deep among teenagers and I have seen them weep over child slavery in Asia and go without food and even shelter to raise money for the homeless of the world. They are extraordinary. However, too often they are pigeon holed by the media and so those who do not regularly interact with them, fear them because of what they have read or seen on TV.

Do you avoid teenagers?

I have watched people cross the street when they see a bunch of teenagers. Why? Do you cross the street when you see a group of old people? The only reason is because of prejudices we have, nurtured by media stories about extreme cases.

Yes, teenagers are different to you and me but they are not the enemy. In many ways they put us to shame. I certainly wouldn’t make some of the sacrifices I have seen them make to help others. I am too used to my creature comforts.

And so I come to the end of my time leading a youth group. However, I do so not because of the teenagers. I do so because so few are willing to help this group and so we have done so alone for too long. Where adults have let us down, I have always received nothing but love and support from the teenagers I work with. That in itself is very telling.

Really pleased with my new “mobile office”. Having...

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:27:32 +0100

Really pleased with my new “mobile office”. Having the right bag to allow you to work from anywhere is really important. It needs loads of pockets and has to be hard wearing and comfortable. After my last bag’s strap broke this new one looks much more likely to survive the rigors of life on the road.

This is SO wrong. It makes me weep.

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:38:04 +0100

This is SO wrong. It makes me weep.

Sometimes form trumps function

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 10:47:00 +0100

It is generally accepted belief that form should follow function. In other words, it is more important to make a product work effectively than it is to define how it looks. Not that appearances are unimportant, but rather they should not negatively impact function.

Of course in the real world there are lots of examples of form coming before function. Fashion is a good example of this. I was sitting in a beer garden yesterday watching a large group of women arrive for what I can only guess was a hen night. One woman stopped by a table and removed her practical walking shoes and replace them with a pair of high heeled stilettos. She could barely make the remaining few feet to meet with her friends wearing the most impractical shoes. However she obviously felt that form trumped function. She believed that the extra height these shoes provided and the changes they made to her posture, made the sacrifices of the functionality worthwhile.

Before I come across as patronising towards this poor woman who struggled in obvious pain to wear the shoes, it is important to stress that I know no better. Take for example my latest iPhone case.

The Book Book iPhone case

The Book Book iPhone case is a thing of beauty. It resembles a leather bound book which is indeed made from real leather, handstitched and expertly distressed to give it an aged feel. It smells right (with that beautiful old books smell), feels right and has the perfect look. The form is all there. However, the functionality leaves something to be desired.

The sacrifices for form

You have to make sacrifices for this amazing form.

Firstly, it feels slightly awkward holding the phone to your ear without removing it from the case. You have to bend the front cover back which doesn’t sit particularly comfortably.

Secondly, taking photographs is a bit of a nightmare. The manufacturers decided that in order to maintain the form of a beautifully distressed leather book they would not accommodate a cutout for the camera in the back cover. Their promotional material suggests all you need to do to take a photograph is pull a small tab and the camera slides up from the case.

Although not entirely inaccurate, this is slightly misleading. In fact you have to lift the tab, manually slide the camera and then take the photograph. This in itself is a fiddly process and the moment could well have passed before the picture is taken. However to make matters worse the screen is half obscured by the case when you slide the camera up. You cannot properly see the photograph you are taking. Far from ideal!

Not totally impractical

However, on the flip side the Book Book case has some nice features I love. Because it is a book it has a front cover that protects the screen. This is my 1st such case and I have to say I much prefer it. I seem to spend my whole life worrying about scratching the screen and that is no longer a concern. I have tried various transparent films that you place over the screen. However, these normally end up making the screen look worse than if it was scratched.

The 2nd thing I like about the Book Book case is that it doubles as a wallet. Some people have expressed concern that keeping your credit cards and your phone in the same place is just making theft all the more easy. Although I can understand this point of view, personally the benefits outweigh the negatives. I never forget to take my phone anywhere and so now I know I always have my money and cards with me. Furthermore there is now less to carry around in my pockets.

I am happy for form to trump function

To be honest, even if the Book Book case did not have these nice practical elements I would still continue to use it. Ultimately the beautiful form overcomes the functional weaknesses. It is so amazing to look at and hold that I really do not care that is not the most practical of cases. Perhaps I’m not so different to that woman in her stiletto heels after all.

If you are like me and value things of beauty then in this case is for you. However, you’re going to have to wait about 4 weeks until it is released in the UK. Also, if you are considering purchasing an iPhone 5 when it is released then you might wish to hold off on buying this case as it will almost certainly not fit your new phone.

Of course, you might wish to cast caution to the wind and buy anyway. After all, we all deserve beautiful things in our lives ;-)

Not that I am obsessed but I can’t wait until this arrives...

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:09:29 +0100

Not that I am obsessed but I can’t wait until this arrives :)

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship,..."

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 18:22:01 +0100

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

- Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love

Discovered this in the comments of my post on generalists.

Maze (Taken with instagram)

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:36:02 +0100

Maze (Taken with instagram)