Archive for March, 2009
General – Epic Fail: Microsoft Twitters Advice
Posted on 30. Mar, 2009 by admin.
A while back a Microsoft employee twittered a link for help on speeding up a computer through the official Microsoft twitter account. While this may seem like a nice thing to have done, it has epic fail written all over it because on further investigation (i.e. clicking the link provided) you realize that the article it directs you to is actually years old.
Since many people are now using Windows Vista, you would expect that the article would have been updated since the new platform was launched, but that is not the case. The very “helpful” tweet directs you to an article written for Windows XP and the only update in it in the last five odd years has been a to include a reference to XP Service Pack 3. Essentially, the article provides no real help to anyone using a recently bought machine.
Another problem with the article is that even for the time it was written in, it is extremely useless. Who needs to be taught how to empty their Recycle Bin or run the defragmentation tools? The article provides almost no useful content.
Imagine being one of the thousands of followers the official account has, receiving the tweet, and following the link only to find out that the article you are reading has no value for you. Had it been me, not only would I have been disappointed in the employee who had sent the tweet (do they actually think their customers are that technologically challenged?) but this would also have led me to immediately stop following the official Microsoft account and opt to follow some tech savvy person instead who could actually offer useful advice.
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General – Epic Fail: Facebook Layout Change
Posted on 26. Mar, 2009 by admin.
‘Can Facebook’s new layout be classified as an epic fail?’ is the question many people are asking now. Firstly, let’s classify what an epic fail is, it is something that has completely gone wrong. A major failure.
Facebook is known for testing its customer’s limits. From layout changes every few months (this latest layout change comes after just a few months from the last major update) to changing privacy policies, Facebook has done everything it can to test its users’ loyalty. This latest layout change is an attempt to make Facebook easier to use by making it more like Twitter, which is the latest internet phenomenon. However, many people have revolted against the change, much like they did last time the layout changed.
It is easy to understand why the users are not happy. Most people using Facebook do not like having to figure out again and again how to do things on the website. People are not very open to change (usually), and when it comes to something that they perceive should be very simple, they definitely do not like any changes that make it otherwise. The first time Facebook changed its layout last year, thousands of people protested, but over time got used to the new layout; this time, however, it looks like they might actually stop using the social media network.
Whether or not this layout change is going to be an epic failure cannot be determined at this early stage, however this certainly looks to be the direction Facebook is headed towards this latest change.