Customers aren't disappointed when you don't meet your commitments

Customers aren't disappointed when you don't meet your commitments; they're disappointed when it means they can't meet theirs.

Extreme Programming made uncontroversial

The Extreme Programming community has a saying that goes something like this:

If something is painful to do, do it more often.

The paradoxical Zen koan feel of that phrasing might be appealing, at least to certain personality types, but it's really not necessary.

A less controversial and much clearer way of describing the point might look like this:

If something is painful to do but you know you will have to do it eventually, then practice doing it so that when you do have to do it, you can do it well.

If you have an agenda, your presentation is boring

Is your presentation so boring that you have to tell me what to expect so that I'll try to suffer through so I can hear what I'm interested in?

Instead of an agenda, how about weaving a compelling story that people want to listen to?

I don't care if the topic is as mundane as a status report. Learn to be a better story teller or just write a memo.

It might be easier to create slideumentation for you but it sure isn't easier for your audience.

Multi-touch cafe table

With the announcement of Microsoft Surface and before that Perceptive Pixel, I've been wondering what this type of technology could be used for. Sure, it's cool, but really, what's the practical context where I would actually use a multi-touch interface (ignoring the iPhone which is a much smaller scale)?

So imagine going to a cafe, having a flash of insight, and just logging in via the table...

The wackiest graphics application I've ever seen

Via thoughtful interaction design, I discovered Signwave Auto-Illustrator, "an experimental, semi-autonomous, generative software artwork and a fully functional vector graphic design application".

To give you an idea of what it's like to use this application...

After creating a new document, the tools dialog has the words "Boring! Choose a different tool.".

One of the filter menu groups is "SuckMyPixel".

The Degnerate filter has an item that lets you adjust a slider between Stupid and Pointless.

An open mind means changing your mind when the evidence suggests you should

Via a I Will Teach You To Be Rich e-mail newsletter,

Dr. Susan Blackmore writes about why she's giving up after 25 years of parapsychological inquiry.

I liked this line:

To me an open mind means this - that you are prepared to change your mind if the evidence suggests you should.