Comments on: random thought

By: How would you define social media? — NevilleHobson.com

How would you define social media? — NevilleHobson.com — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:45:58 +0000

[…] not today, with its exclusive focus on tools and channels. What about people and behaviours? Hugh MacLeod said it well in 2007: it’s about what the user does with the software, ie, the tools and the […]

By: Internet Librarian 2010 – Dag 2

Internet Librarian 2010 – Dag 2 — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 05:33:27 +0000

[…] Let etter feil og mangler og rett de opp når du finner de. Ikke se på det som et nederlag at de finnes, men jobb kontinuerlig med å forbedre nettsidene. Fokuser på enkelhet og minimalisme. “It’s not what the software does. It’s what the user does” […]

By: Emissions Testing, Usability Testing, Focus Groups, and Analytics

Emissions Testing, Usability Testing, Focus Groups, and Analytics — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:46:21 +0000

[…] (Inspired by Steve Krug and Hugh MacLeod.) […]

By: Sam

Sam — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 12:21:36 +0000

Hugh. Truly love this. Can I have permission to print this onto a T-shirt?

By: deb schultz

deb schultz — Thu, 17 May 2007 04:39:31 +0000

detractors — what detractors — lemme at em.
FYI — my blog tag line: Technology changes. Humans don’t.

By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 16 May 2007 14:04:43 +0000

I would love for this to be on the back of my next set of business cards (the wolves and sheep have had enough)!
Would you consider adding just two words to the end i.e. it’s what the user does with it!

By: Tomi Itkonen

Tomi Itkonen — Wed, 16 May 2007 13:02:59 +0000

Reminiscent of an old (circa 1995) Apple ad that went like:
“It’s not how powerful the computer is, it’s how powerful the computer makes You.”

By: kevin

kevin — Wed, 16 May 2007 04:50:38 +0000

Hugh,
This would be a fantastic one to add to the streetcards site. I bet it would be the most produced business card of all. I know you just posted some new ones on 5/7 but I’m begging you to post this one there ASAP
Thanks, great work as always.

By: Mike Peter Reed

Mike Peter Reed — Wed, 16 May 2007 04:20:36 +0000

Not exactly rocket science though is it, to be stating the bleedin obvious (in your best John Cleese voice). A timely reminder, however.
As to Microsoft having a soul? I think that’s a somewhat Faustian assumption.

By: steve clayton

steve clayton — Wed, 16 May 2007 03:09:28 +0000

Hugh this is really one of your best. as you know, I’ve seen most of your work and this is right up there with the best. Congrats…it’s my new business card.
I’m not sure how you do it but you have a knack for taking something complex, adding a sguiggle and putting it on a small piece of card in a very very succint way. You should be in marketing

By: Darcy Moen

Darcy Moen — Wed, 16 May 2007 00:28:05 +0000

Freedom; what a concept.
You can attempt to litigate creativity into containment, but you will never kill or control those who have the seemingly endless resources to innovate new solutions.
Take away my hammer, and I’ll use a rock to pound nails. Take away my nails, and I’ll use wooden pegs or weave ropes to bind projects into stability. Take away my tools, and I’ll make more to take their place. Expressions of creativity will always find an outlet, be it chalk lines on cement, charcoal on paper, or ink drawings on the back of business cards. Innovation will out, eventually, regardless.
How do you compete with free? How can one compete with endless innovation? The only way I know is to pick you target markets wisely, price competitively, and never rest on your accomplishments. There will always be someone out there better, brighter, and willing to do whatever it takes to create the next best release for no other reasons than for the sake of creativity and for no compensation other than bragging rights.
You eat what you kill and you keep on moving, for tomorrow your efforts becomes someone else’s targeted potential market.
If any venture wants to survive, they best be hanging a ‘Shh! Creative destruction at work’ sign from their rafters and keep out-innovating the rest of the world because after all, coasting is a downhill affair.

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 15 May 2007 23:14:43 +0000

Funny, I just put this up on the office notice board: http://bokardo.com/images/comics/content-or-design.gif

By: Nigel James

Nigel James — Tue, 15 May 2007 23:11:51 +0000

And that is where the soul of Microsoft is … with the user.

By: Matt Lacey

Matt Lacey — Tue, 15 May 2007 23:05:09 +0000

That’s spot on.
There should be giant posters of this in every deevlopers office/cube!

By: Maggie Leber

Maggie Leber — Tue, 15 May 2007 22:49:16 +0000

It is indeed what the user does.
And very important inputs to what the user does is what the software encourages the user to do…what it will let the user do…and what it attempts to prevent the user from doing.