User Centered

This site made a "Top 100 User Centered Blogs" list (Find us at number 46). We're nestled amongst a ton of my daily reads, and I couldn't ask to be in better company.

Thanks Virtual Hosting for the nod!

User Centered is one year old and you didn't even get us a card.

Thanks everyone for getting on board, submitting, writing and commenting. You've joined the group, sent in a submission, commented, contributed your usability expertise, etc, and without that, this site would have died in January or so (it was real close!). Thanks especially to those who have written posts or debated in the comments section. It's refreshing to see I'm not the only one fed up with the way the world works. I really appreciate those that are "in the know" checking in to put some science behind the rants.

We've really done a number on the design and use of websites, software, and everyday things over the last year. Dig through the archives and you'll find (maybe I'll link these up later) 245 posts on things like:Donald Norman, Nailclippers, Can Openers, vertical blinds, wrapping paper, bathtubs, sinks, vacuums, washers/dryers, electric shavers, mouthwash,fast food drive up windows, remotes, TV guides, irons, watches, blenders, stoves, microwaves, toothpaste, gas stations, ATMs, telephones, Shower heads, alarm clocks, hangers, microwavable soups, gym bags, and a whole lotta websites.. and the frustration, praise, rants & raves of 89 members (well, 88 'cause I'm on there twice).

Thanks again all. There... I think that's just about enough group/self narcissism for one year. Now it's back to work on User Centered 2.0:

(courtesy of the Web2.0 Logo Creator....yes, it's a joke)


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A couple posts that were not very interesting in and of themselves, but generated some good discussion in the comments, maybe they are worth another look. These will probably get reposted eventually based on the comments generated-

Motorola RAZR V3 Usability Review (Sept 2005)

and...
DNS for our postal mail (2 June 2006)

You may have seen Mark in the comments from the "Better Outlook" posts I dropped awhile back.

He's looking for feedback on Email Tagging features you might find useful. Check out his list see if anything jives with your thinking.

...also on a related note (the other side of the Outlook organizational camp), one of the things I'm working on (in my hiatus) is a good post on "Speedfiler." for those that prefer folders.

So, stay tuned for that.

Edit- sorry Claritude for the typo.

UPDATE- this idea has been canned. I may keep the usermindset.com to forward to here (no masking) to facilitate verbally directing people here, but keep it on the down-low.

Not surprisingly, user-centered type domain names are pretty much taken, or have too many syllables and/or weird spellings.

So, I'd like to mask this domain under:
1)usermindset.com (running on a 'trail basis' -try it out!)
2)usermix.com

Both of which I own already- but don't know if I want to use them here. It'd be the same great Opera hosted blog, but the URL would be masked (or at least forwarded) with one of the above, all links would work as they did before, etc.

The "User Centered" title would change to match -it's pretty generic in the world of usability anyway.

Thoughts, preferences, leave it the way it is?