Pleasure and Pain

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13 Dec 2011

PAIN: EVENTBRITE
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I have to admit that this is strange one because on the whole Eventbrite (an online event management tool) is easy to use. In fact I'd go so far as to say it's a pleasure. It makes me feel clever, organised, that my event is popular and will run smoothly. They're right of course, it will.
So I was totally baffled to find this anomaly in the event management area of the site. When you add a link to the event description text in the WYSIWYG you get this pop up window.

My boggle is with the field labelling. For some reason Eventbrite randomly starts referring to things with their proper technological names rather than using language most people would understand. For example do most people know what h1, fine and msonormal are?
(download)

Click here to download:
pain-eventbrite-uCjBniuJvljjkglmjjsu.zip (156 KB)

There seem to be a bunch of mark up references in here ID, class, style? Do normal (non-coding) users know what these are? I doubt it. And then there's this little gem.

What's going on Eventbrite? Please speak human to me.
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5 Aug 2011

Pleasure: Airbnb
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Gushing fan-girl post alert!

Man I freakin' LOVE this site. I love the idea behind it (so much so I'm booked into a une apart-a-monte in Paris in August) but most of all I go gooey at the experience of using the site.

Whilst the premise of the company is reasonably simple to understand they have gone out of their way to make an excellent video which is reassuring and makes life seem like one big adventure that you, yes YOU can enjoy. I wanted to go on holiday with that chick there and then because she was so convincing and I've very much chosen my side of the fence.

My ouber favourite page though is the search results page and all the different ways you could ever want to interact with them. Sorting by recommendation, price, distance and newest. Then on the right filtering the type of accommodation, price filters and neighbourhoods and showing the number of results relevant to each on the right. I think the most useful thing is the map though, you can determine whether the map shows the list of accommodation of the accommodation reflects the area being shown in the map. This works so well and my only niggle is that the map could do with being a bit bigger as the location pins can cover map details that you need to see: road names for example!
The 360 street video is a sexy touch too and saves traipsing off to google maps every 2 minutes to see how many crackheads are on the streets of the area you're looking at.

Now, where's my biggest bag for looting the place?
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5 Aug 2011

Pleasure: National Rail Enquiries
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Wow, they've been busy bees over at National Rail Enquiries. This site site used to be the biggest pain in the ass to use and went well beyond the point of credulity in the amount of time it took them to sort it out. Must have been leaves on the internet. Anyway, they pulled their fingers out so let's have a look at some highlights.

Searching for a station by postcode. This is a handy little tool for finding the nearest station to your destination. Me likey.

Finally National Rail realise we might choose our tickets based on price as-well as time. So thanks for including the ticket price on the same page as the train times thus reducing the element of surprise when whacked with an extortionate train ticket. Now you know exactly how much you're being fleeced for right away. Relief.

Now this is sexy. It's a tool for admitting defeat but in an adorable self effacing way like when a comedian is self deprecating and it makes you fancy them a bit. Er anyway…the tool allows you to plan your journey then enter your contact details in order to receive notifications (via text, email or twitter) if your train is cancelled or delayed. That's actually really helpful (considering the state of British Rail) and must have been a bitch to build so kudos for that. Now make the trains run on time and I’ll be happy.
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30 Jun 2011

Pain: Google+
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Ok I admit this is partly because I’m bitter at my lack of invite but whatever. It still stands true for most of the world’s geek population.
Arrive on the Google + homepage and you're faced with a sign up box. Winner. I enter my email address and BOOM. Denied due to being in testing with a small group of people. What!? Why didn’t you say so before?

Godammit Google you are a social media TEASE. You’ve left me disappointed and with very low self esteem. Sniff...

Obviously I’ll be checking back every hour to see if you’re ready for me. Hurry up.
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30 Jun 2011

Pleasure: Argos online reservation
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I know right!? Argos and pleasure are two words that traditionally do not belong in the same sentence. So I was pleasantly surprised by the reservation and collection experience provided online and the way it moved seamlessly to collection instore.
I entered my mobile number online and instantly receive a text with a reservation number

Off I trot to Argos to pick up my items. La la la, ooh look a squirrel!
As soon as I entered the store I was faced with a touch screen asking for my reservation number that they’d text to me earlier.

The items are displayed on screen so you can check (Don’t laugh at my shopping trolley. It’s cool alright?) I pay using the card reader and my collection point and receipt come as one.

Saves fiddling about with the laminated book of dreams and impossibly small pens.
Smooth as a baby’s bum.
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30 Jun 2011

PAIN: Team Roberts - Size information
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I'm looking for a shirt for large man I know. Hi Santa! *waves*

Wait, what size is 'large' according to Team Roberts?

*clicks ' SIZE INFO' *

Holy crap, that is A LOT of numbers, which mean nothing to me as none of them are labelled with their size. This assumes we know the sizes in numbers for each system and remember what we bought last time.

Gnuh. I'm not taking a gamble for my favourite yule tide character. Off I trot...

And just like that a potential sale is gone.
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