Here’s another thought, inspired by your comments that actually presenting your dad with a “loaded MP3 player” was the lowered threshold he needed for him to enjoy podcasts: You gave me David Owen’s article in the April 10, 2006 issue of THE NEW YORKER on the history and current state of Muzak (“The Soundtracks of Your Life: How Muzak makes you by”) last night. In that article, one of the Muzak “audio architects”, Steven Pilker, asked the author six or seven questions about his lifestyle and interests. Based on those few questions (none of which were about his MUSICAL preferences, btw), Pilker sent Owen a small compilation of music that contained artists he’d never heard of–but that the Owen really liked. He ended up actually buying CDs by some of the “new” artists. Owen says “…I was struck that Pilker, after spending very little time with me, had created an appealing musical program that was based on his sense of who I was, rather than on any direct examination of the music I actually listened to if left on my own.”

I was thinking that would be an amazing on-line service for Muzak: providing music (and, after hearing your story about your dad, podcasts) by creating such individualized “packages” for listeners. I could go to their website, take a simple quiz, and receive a specialized packet of audio files in the format and/or time length I’m willing to pay for.

“A more interesting question for Jon might be, “Why are you so interested in having your father listen to podcasts?” Or more generally, why should any of us have a need for other people to adopt technology that we personally find to be essential, or at least fun? I have a hunch that at some level the answer is going to be about deepening the sense of connection we feel to other people. If Jon’s dad “gets” podcasts, then he’ll be one step closer to really “getting” his son.”

This is all true. In addition, though, I would like to think that my need for other people to adopt technology is secondary to our need as citizens of the planet — and now also of the Net — to get our collective act together and solve pressing problems.

Wonderfully well said, John.

http://www.morphatic.com/articles/use-experience-vs-user-experience

Lending further credence to the argument for a good Use experience, Jim Allchin of Microsoft’s internal email over the state of MP3 players and Windows Media Player. Jim Allchin couldn’t believe how badly the Creative Zen player integrated with Windows Media player. And as a threat he proposed going to Apple and making a deal to support the iPod all the way. Apparently the Use Experience with the iPod far exceeded that of thrid party MP3 players and Windows Media Player. One solution he came up with was to bypass the third party manufacturers and create a Microsoft designed and branded MP3 player that tightly integrated with Windows Media Player which 3 years later became the Zune. Has the Zune created a great Use Experience for anyone?

[I regret that I missed you Thursday night. It was nice to see Buzz, Michael, Alex, and Chris again. I'm surprised they didn't add you to the panel to make up for the absent participants.]

I help people who restore historic buildings. They are dedicated DIY homeowners and professional tradespeople. They work and do most of their thinking in the real world of bricks & mortar, wood & paint. They are THIRSTY for the practical information that I can easily provide. How they get that information is not always so easy.

Since the 1970s I have been writing print articles in national publications and in my own print-on-demand series–they all “get” how to use these print-media resources. Open the book, read, look at the pictures.

Since 1993 I’ve developed my http://www.HistoricHomeWorks.com website, with a Library, Discussion Forum, etc.–many of them “get” how to use this online media. Log on, read, look at the pictures.

This past year I have been doing video blogging and video conferencing–this is a real long stretch for my crowd, only a few “get” it. Log on, look at the video, “oh yeah, just like TV, look & listen, but I can ask questions? That’s too weird, I’ll just look & listen.”

Pod-casting? They say, “Subscribe to radio?” “It’s on the internet, but you can’t see it?” “I take something I can’t see or hold, and put it in my shirt pocket?” “What? WHAT?” “I just need to know how to fix my broken window.”

Even if you give them a “pod-caster/toaster” they can buy off the shelf without the lash-up of cables and gizmos, it still takes a personal in-person guide–maybe not such a bad idea. It gets Jon right with his dad, for at least an hour. It’s beginning to look to me like this is the post-modern personalization of what is, essentially an impersonal medium, designed by the mass media entertainment marketers to separate humans from each other and transform each into an individual “marketing unit” that scales up nicely. Well, what do you know, the human beings wiggle out of the compartmentalized slots and still find ways to get together.

Makes me wonder if we really need the individual slots in the first place. Maybe that’s what our “users” are telling us about the “use” when they don’t “get it.” Are they really saying, “Oh yoooo-hoooooo, I’m over here in the real world, just trying get some help fixing my windows.”

John Leeke
by hammer and hand great works do stand
by pen and thought best words are wrought
by cam and light he shoots it right