Forwarded message ----------
From: stephen feldman <sfeldman@sfmktg.net>
Date: Wed, Mar 11, 2015 at 11:17 PM
Subject: Tech Pet Peeves WSJ 3/11/2015
Hi Geoffrey and Joanna,
1. Unnecessary complexity - most software programs and devices are built in a sort of nuclear arms race of features by engineers and business people who seem to have no idea normal people only use 10% of the functions. Why not test out which functions are most used and offer that? A few companies do that, but they always leave out key features to charge you more. Just charge for those and keep it simple and easy to use.
2. Stop hiding buttons until you mouse over it. If it is hidden, how can you know it exists? Not all of Apple / Google / Microsoft users were given a smart phone or tablet at age three. Who has the most buying power currently? Maybe suppliers need to look at that to determine where to go with "innovations".
3. Why is so little money spent on User Experience testing and design? It appears these companies are only or mostly driven by engineers. Let's get over that. Automobiles might be instructive. A highly complex, technically advanced product, right? For the most part easy to use, comfortable, safe, and things are pretty much where you expect them. Can the geeks (there, I have said it) stop asking us to get out of the car, find the crank, hand crank the engine, and retard the spark?
4. Phone bills have become an extraction industry. Federal and state taxes with very little explanation. They call themselves lawmakers. A misnomer if there ever was one.
5. Advertisements on our phone screens. I am sure the fine print says they have "our permission", but since when did ATT, T Mobile, Sprint create a new revenue stream (and a highly annoying one) and not offer anything of value to their customers.
6. Trading our privacy for revenues. I realize the Internet is not "free." It's a service. So charge for one and allow me to keep control of my privacy. Further, make opting out of them taking our private data easy. They bury it. It is time consuming and technically hard to ratchet up your privacy without losing your ability to function on the Internet. Europe has better privacy protections. Why can't we?
7. Business pretends to have things under control in the area of security. They want all our private data to sell, resell, compare and target, but they are unwilling to spend the basic minimums (as proved by Sony and others recently) to protect us. Is it going to take something catastrophic to get them to spend what is required and to have the right mentality to get it done? Look at the Apple pay fiasco. Banks were greedy to get on board, but could not get it together to make it secure. Shame on them.
Sincerely,
Stephen
Stephen Feldman
CEO
Solving Complex Marketing Problems
Mobile / Text: 646 512 0770
Email: sfeldman@sfmktg.net