jemjabella

Book Review: Defensive Design for the Web

Defensive Design for the Web: How to Improve Error Messages, Help, Forms, and Other Online Crisis Points, by 37signals, Matthew Linderman and Jason Fried, really should be called “Examples of Bad Error Messages, Forms, etc” because although there were lots of pretty screenshots in the book, there wasn’t much in the way of real solutions — technical or otherwise..

I must admit, I’ve always thought my own website was quite visitor friendly, despite occasional nagging doubts in my head saying otherwise. Still, how can you test your own website for usability? If you already know where everything is, it’s hard to act dumb. So, when the opportunity came up to purchase a book that would be able to point me in the right direction of things I might have missed, I went for it!

In the book, there were no solid examples of what we should definitely do or not do, and using advice from the sites given a thumbs-up was not necessarily a great idea because the ratings were inconsistant: on page 62 nordstrom.com were given a thumbs down for specifying the format of user-inputted telephone numbers (no hypens or spaces) and yet on page 69, expedia.com and etrade.com were given a thumbs up for doing exactly the same thing (stating that social security numbers must contain the hypens). If nordstrom must accept telephone numbers in multiple formats, surely etrade should do the same with SS numbers?

One of the most annoying things about the entire book was the constant use of the incorrect term “alt tags”. Tags are surrounded by < and >, alt is not, therefore alt is an attribute. This is the kind of basic HTML-related stuff that I would expect an ‘expert’ web-based company such as 37signals to know. What’s more, there was an entire chapter dedicated to the lack of alt “tags” on various websites, and yet no clear instructions on what good alt text should say.

Throughout the entire book there was only one teensy-tiny paragraph on international forms and the need to accept multiple types of data, and yet this book is sold worldwide. America is not the only country in the world and so I would have liked to have seen more advice offered for those who’re unsure on how to approach forms for a larger audience (particularly as I’m a Brit myself).

Overall, despite the varying negative points, the book itself is relatively decent. It brought up some little things that I have missed on my own website, such as, what to do if a visitor returns 0 results from a search (i.e. offer suggestions/alternatives instead), but generally contained nothing but screenshots. I would have liked to have seen more specific advice, and a little less focus on American based websites/forms.

Book Review: Da Vinci Code

If there’s one thing I love about a movie, a book or a website it’s something which keeps my attention, and The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown certainly does that. Never have I read a book before that literally grabs my attention to the point where I don’t want to move; forgetting about eating, drinking or even peeing — I wanted to find out what happened next!

Although some of the so-called facts have been discussed and disputed on many a website, never has a book sparked so much religious interest in me. I love the way that these “facts” were twisted into what is ultimately a fiction (and don’t forget this when you buy it) to add spice to the story.

The brain-bending mind-twisting puzzles made me feel like I could somehow be a part of the book (particularly when I solved them before the characters) and the snappy, action-packed plot kept me hanging right until the end.

Unfortunately it was at the end that I was disappointed; the plot felt rushed and the bad guy was, although certainly unexpected to a degree, not the kind of enemy I thought the book deserved. I certainly hope that if the movie ever comes out, they portray him with a bit more menace than the book gives off.

Book Review: Don't Eat This Book

Don't Eat This Book, by Morgan Spurlock, is a tongue-in-cheek look at the fast food industry all over the world, focusing primarily on McDonalds in America. This book accompanies his documentary Super Size Me, in which he demonstrated the effect that eating nothing but McDonald's food for 30 days could have on the human body.

I found this book an incredibly fascinating read. If it wasn't Spurlock's witty and, at times, sarcastic style of writing keeping me hooked, it was the detail in which he covered industries including fast food all over the world. The book delved into what could only be called ‘gruesome facts' at times, revealing stories about decaying burgers (or rather, the invincible McChicken Sandwich) and what some processed meat factories do with roadkill (mm, burgers).

This book isn't necessarily a light read — it's all about the facts — but if you are one of those fastidious people that needs to know where your food comes from, you'll find this book particularly interesting. Especially if you have a habit of dropping into McDonalds every now and again.

While a large part of this book seems to be a testament to Spurlocks ego — how much he walks, how well he usually eats, etc. — a lot of legal and nutrional information is stuffed amongst the pages and using this book to improve your eating habits could change your life. Well, that is, unless your name is Jem and reading about burgers caused you nothing but food cravings…