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1 hour later…
01:05
RIP
 
5 hours later…
06:14
how come the design for # votes/answers/views on the the list of questions on the home page is different from the Questions and Unanswered pages?
hey Emil
 
2 hours later…
08:05
@Erics - Do you mean one design to summarise the snapshot of top questions depending on the sort criteria (with one row per question and detail of the last person active on that question) vs the more detailed all questions page design which also includes the first two lines of the question under the title and the detail of the poster?
 
4 hours later…
11:49
@Erics Interesting. I've never noticed that. It must be because the Questions page has more detail for each question. (it includes a snippet of the body of the question, as well as the asker's avatar and badge count.)
Wow you included the alt text :)
@RogerAttrill: which do you need? more or less?
nothing to do with me :-)
12:29
5 rep away from the mortarboard badge yesterday :(
Can we only get the mortarboard once?
I was sure that when I got it I read it as more than once.
only once
Is there a way that we can check the text that is shown when you are awarded a badge?
as it's not the same as the description
I have a feeling there may be an error in the text
12:45
hmm - not sure we can get that message back - the text doesn't appear in the inbox history - we need someone to earn it first time and check it out :-)
Isn't it just "you were awarded X badge" and "for your answer/question Y" when applicable?
Nope
it also says if it can be awarded multiple times
when you click on the link saying that you were awarded it
either way, it's not the same text as you can see when looking at the badge
13:21
It's an explanation of the fact that you got the badge, not the badge itself though right?
Yeah, "You've earned the "Nice Question" badge for Can ugly be good UX?. See your profile."
Dunno about the mortarboard one though, almost got that yesterday but not quite
when you get it, please take some screenshots of the various notifications
Will do, is there just the one for the badge or one letting you know you hit the rep cap for the day?
there is a notification with a link
if you click on the link it explains the badge
I';ve seen that, you said notification_s_ so I thought there might be more
the generic meaning. i.e. something that notifies you of something :)
13:34
I guess italics don't work mid word huh?
nope
also bold
I guess it would break stupid_variable_name_conventions now that I think of it
you could escape them
but it's probably a good idea :)
That's a bit too complicated for simple online text entry
I find our italics surprisingly efficient though
13:43
Using the _ to italicize instead of <i></i> which takes FOREVER to type
aaah
I'm used to markdown
bb code seems soooooo far away
NEver used BBcode and SO is the first place I've used markdown
Half the sites I use I have to click something to get italics or type them, it's that or I don't get them at all
<i> </i> is bbcode
To me it's HTML =p
I thought BBCode was the one with [i] and such
Most be some forum specific one I'm thinking of
14:12
square brackets, pointy brackets... same thing :P
allowing html in comments is a very bad idea
Most sites I've seen that do that strip "bad" tags, at least I think they do
Fark.com has a fairly complex filter, it's the only site I use raw HTML in, because that's how it lets you italicize and such
markdown is much nicer
I've never tried something like <audio> in there though, I wonder now...
2
Q: Should date validation allow "091011"?

Chris DwyerShould I allow users to input the MMDDYY or MMDDYYYY format for a date? That is, should any date validation logic not trigger a validation error if the user just wants to put in the numbers without any separation symbols (period, dash, slash)?

It's hard to write a complete, cited answer with examples when you're posting answers in like 3 seconds John =p
14:27
I think John is on a crusade
On a side note why would you want people to enter a date as 091011 anyway, unless you had separated fields? I've never heard of anyone entering dates like that
That was ages ago
@RogerAttrill: you are getting slow :P
I plan to catch up to you in about 5 years Roger
14:47
@JohnGB haha - are you addicted?
No. I can stop any time I want to. I just don't want to. :P
yep - that's how I was for about 3 months
was? :P
This is your brain. This is your brain on gamification
14:50
I actually started using ux.se to understand gamification better
well - I'm pretty busy at the moment - and I was also starting to get concerned about the time spent answering questions - especially with cited examples etc.
It's an important part of what we're developing and although I had read a lot on it, that's not the same as understanding it
My answers tend to be...well - verbose :-)
I hadn't noticed :P
I set myself a target - I would get the 100 consecutive days badge, and try to average 100 rep per day, and at least a third of my answers accepted - that was my own 'game' - then I'd ease off a bit because it was taking up too much time.
14:54
I set myself a target too. Beat Roger :)
haha - lol!
I'm not rising to it ;-)
I'm happy to see you beat yourself. I'll even provide the stick :)
I'm not at the top of the rep pile alone - there's Rahul within a gnat's whisker - he's on your radar too I assume!
Velocity wise, not
rep per day he isn't there
But it is mostly that I like the community
actually I'm fascinated by how well the gamification does work - I find it highly addictive!
well - I said before - I felt right at home when I found this site!
14:58
It would make more sense for me to be on the startup version of se, but... well, the community isn't very interesting
why not?
@RogerAttrill UX and HCI have learned a whooole lot from video games, and video games have learned a lot from cognitive psychology. It's a very effective system when done right
I haven't peeked at statup much, I directed an business student friend there though
I don't mean to run them down, I just get the feeling that the community isn't very mature
as in lots of kids asking really silly questions that 1 second on google could find
15:01
sorry - that was immature
But I'm sure it's good for post people
@RogerAttrill: I have no idea what you even meant
:)
Are we supposed to wear pants while chatting?
If so, I should go put something on.
well having been to a few networking events - I find people running start-ups very interested in how they can use other people to help their cause. Whereas UX people are very interested in how they can improve things for other people. Sometimes the two don't mix because the reasons for engagement are different
that's a heavy generalisation - of course!
It is, but I think it is a fair comment
@RogerAttrill That's largely my impression as well
I also believe that helping other people is the best way to get help yourself
15:08
that's also very true
And even if it's not true, I feel good helping other people
I thought we were all in UX because we're all big hearted, altruistic angels
No, it's for the chicks
Good way to pick up one of the many UX groupies
@JohnGB - Agree very much on googleable questions
I wish, not many people in Iowa even know what it is, hence my current job. I intend to head out to California where I can at least get a job where people respect it
15:12
I know a lot of women who work in UX full time (more than guys actually). And women are supposed to be more "sociable" (whatever that means). Strange that there are so few in here
@MattRockwell: some are interesting, but I think there are too many people into the whole "coolness" factor of a startup
that is strange
Well at least it seems most people from here found it from SO, and I bet a large majority of SO is male
Ben, have you tried mobile jobs?
it seems that googleable questions plague all of the se sites
15:15
This one less than a lot that I've seen
true
but again, it's fine if our goal is to own the first hits on google for this type of info eventually
which is something that Rahul had mentioned that he wants to do
@JohnGB Haven't heard of it. I'm not the best at job searching yet, this is my first job out of college after all
That will just take time.
Ben, I mean jobs that are web based
For example, all out work is done online, so it doesn't matter where I am
we get together as a team about 4 times a year
@JohnGB Ah yeah, I was hoping to find jobs like that but never found where to actually get one.
Seriously try oDesk
start out cheap to get experience and in a few months you can be charging decent amounts
people that look there are usually looking for remote workers
15:22
@JohnGB I remember trying that and didn't find much that looked good, I was looking for summer work though, I guess I'm more attractive with HCI and Psych degrees and a job...
I still remember eleventy hundred applications per job there though
I have put job posting there
the last one I had 54 replies
2 of which answered the questions I asking in the job posting
they REALLY stood out just for that
1
Q: Facebook Page or Group

renvSay I was hired by a store to put up Facebook account. Since I do not know who are the people that could be connected to the store, I put up a Facebook profile so I can add friends. This is against Facebook terms and conditions that only individual should put up a profile account. My strat is whe...

answer in a way that you can only have done if you read their posting
@MattRockwell Isn't that a web apps question? I think they do FB
@JohnGB I might try that then
Looks UX to me, its about redirecting people after one area gets large enough
15:25
I think it's UX, but not a very clear question
at least that how I read it, but I noticed @CharlesBoyung voted to close it
It's not something I would fight to keep open, but my vote would be to keep it open
@JohnGB It's UX in that it's asking how to reach people, but a Facebook page is the single proper solution as it's how Facebook intends you to do that
True
so it's more like asking "what do FB want me to do"
There are UX reasons to use the Page method, but it's only because that's what FB set up just for this occasion
15:33
@JohnGB - I'd been thinking about oDesk to get a few gap-filler jobs - and to just try them out and see how it really works - would you recommend them then? Have you tried similar sites or only oDesk?
oDesk and eLance
but both as the person doing the hiring
found my current developer on there, and I've been very happy
which of the two comes across as more professional from your side
more than a year later
oDesk
elance is generally bidding a fixed price - which is daft because most projects nobody can know how long they will take
so price is lower on eLance, and so is quality
Also on oDesk I can see feedback
and that is what you want to focus on
15:35
Now that I've been reminded of it I might take another look into it. There's probably an element of gamification on there too
@RogerAttrill What sort of work do you usually do?
I know UI, but what parts of it.
15:53
@MattRockwell That's not at all how I see it. She's asking if it's okay to use Facebook in the way she wants to do it. That's a question for a Facebook forum. That's not a UX question.
@JohnGB That is the problem with both of those sites. They completely undervalue the providers because of people doing this sort of thing. I've been on both of them for several years, and almost every person that posts jobs out there is looking for high-quality work at prices that offshore development farms would lose money on.
She is asking HOW to go about using Facebook and whihc of two method will give the user a better experience
@CharlesBoyung: You're competing globally, so you need to show that you are worth it. There are plenty of guys there earning good money.
@RogerAttrill As I just said above, if you are looking to actually get anywhere near your normal rate from either oDesk or eLance, good luck. I've gotten a couple of jobs there, but hardly worth the effort.
@MattRockwell You are reading WAY more into that than what is there. Nowhere does it say anything like that at all.
@MattRockwell It could be thought of like that, but the primary UX considerations were handled by FB when they created the Pages feature. It's what it's for.
@JohnGB Not if you see their average rates. Almost no one makes "good money" from those sites. They may make a lot of money, but those are almost all Indian development farms disguising themselves as individuals.
16:00
@CharlesBoyung Not sure if those 2 sites are anything like Sitepoint or and of the logo farming sites, but if they are, they are awful and harm their respective industries as a whole
I know quite a few people doing very well for themselves on there
sure, they are the minority, as there is such a flood of poor quality
@MattRockwell: They are freelance sites for almost anything that you could freelance
@JohnGB Exactly. And those people that are doing well for themselves on there probably spend twice as much time trying to find and get jobs there as they would with many other means.
do people competitively bid on jobs?
Need to remember, the time spent trying to find the job is an opportunity cost as well.
on Elance, yes. on oDesk, no
16:02
@MattRockwell They aren't as bad as Sitepoint or logo farming sites, but they are pretty much the same thing, yes.
@CharlesBoyung: the guys that I know who are doing well get offers. They don't look.
if thats the case, it is bad for the indusrty as whole
And they are usually busy for months on each project
@JohnGB They are definitely the vast minority then.
yes. But they are good.
which is why people pay
not everyone is interested in the cheapest possible.
16:04
Vast majority on those sites definitely are.
And if they really are that good and getting jobs on those sites then they are most definitely undervaluing themselves.
ya, and they give off the perception that the industry, whatever one that may be is cheaper than it really is, which devalues the whole industry's competetive rates
@JohnGB Yeah - a wide range of ui stuff really - desktop and embedded application design and development (C++, Qt), graphics (2D, 3D and augmented reality), icon suites, ux/usability audits, application redesign for aged/ailing/wayward products. Basically I spent the previous 12 years working for an outsourced development team, working on diverse projects in equally diverse industries...
@CharlesBoyung: you are making statements that are logically impossible to refute. To me that makes the discussion fruitless, so I will stop at this point.
@RogerAttrill: Jack of all UX trades?
as I posted on a question of the graphicdesign.se site on spec work sites:
When participating in these logo contests, you are devaluing the design industry as a whole. Also it gives off the perception that logos can be "ready made", with the ability to simply change the name and have it work. There is a LOT of hard work, research, and unique consideration that should be taken into account when creating a great logo. Even if you decide that you would like to work for pennies, think about the greater implications of bringing down the industry as whole.

Example, "Why would I pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for a logo from you, when I could go to this site, have
yeah - and master of none :-)
16:08
I use those sites, but I won't devalue myself. I use the same rates I use for any other client. Very few clients on those sites will ever be willing to pay those rates. If the people you know are really that good, then they would have the same problem.
@RogerAttrill: who made that ugly site? :P
aaaah. What a wasted snide comment then :(
@JohnGB Just ask those people that you know what their hourly rate comes out to for projects they get on those sites and compare it to the rates they get to projects via other means. I would bet you that it's going to be significantly lower for each one of them.
@CharlesBoyung: you are speaking like someone that thinks only the developed world exists
earning $70 an hour in a country where you can rent a house for $500 a month is doing well by my book
is that where they (the worker) lives?
16:14
Yes
@JohnGB No, no I'm not. But there is most definitely a difference in quality in the less-developed parts of the world.
the point of working remotely is that you can earn decent money while living in paradise for a fraction of what everyone else pays
@CharlesBoyung: have you ever lived there?
@JohnGB Nope, but I've worked with plenty that do. For example, India. Invariably, the highest quality developers from India that I've worked with are the ones that now live in Europe or the US - They all leave India because they can make much more money that way.
So you are basing a global standard on a very limited sample?
India for software development is a very limited sample? Sorry, try again.
16:17
@JohnGB is $70 an hour what they normally charge for all their work?
elsehwere, not on that site?
For them, elsewhere = $10 an hour if they are lucky
@CharlesBoyung: you are essentially stating that people in the developing world are less capable than those in the developed world.
@JohnGB In most cases, yes, that is what I am saying because it's true.
i'm confused, so they arent undercutting their normal rates to get work on these sites, they are charging more?
It's not a lack of intelligence by any means, though. It's the lack of a good infrastructure to become better.
And I highly doubt that someone that can make $70 an hour on oDesk can only make $10 an hour via any other means.
via other means = the going rate where they live for office work
16:20
@JohnGB Then not the same job they are doing via oDesk? Sorry, but that's not a valid comparison.
@CharlesBoyung: I consider your comments to be ignorant and bigoted and as such will be ending this discussion in the interests of remaining civil.
@JohnGB Ok gotcha, the only problem I have with these types of sites is when people charge lesser rates on the site than they would and should charge normally
@CharlesBoyung what I think John means with the 70 vs 10 is that their rate sin the going area are far less, but on oDesk they can break beyond those barriers. For example getting a New York City pay while telecommuting from Connecticut
@JohnGB Exactly how are they "ignorant and bigoted"? It is all based on facts. Someone is getting $70/hour for software development vs. $10/hour for office work is like me saying that it's valid to say that I would only get $8/hour to work at McDonalds is a valid comparison to my rates for software development. Completely ridiculous and idiotic.
@MattRockwell If he meant it was the same type of work, then why would he make that last comment instead of just saying that they would be doing the same work for far less via other means?
I highly doubt that any developer that can make $70 an hour via online means would be limited to $10 an hour doing software development, even if they WERE working at one of those offshoring companies. The good ones do get paid fairly well, even at those companies.
dunno, gotta go eat lunch
There's no reason anyone competent would work at those companies if that were true.
16:50
Folks, if you think a question should be closed, vote to close it. Don't flag unless it's really important. Thanks. :)
Sorry @PatrickMcElhaney. I think that comment was for my benefit.
I sort of wondered why the SE badge system encourages flagging instead of closing...I don't even know if we get anything for close votes, but you have to flag for weeks for the flag weight badges....and be right to boot, I believe
We get stuff for flagging?
It seems like flagging should almost never be necessary unless you can't use close votes or a question need migration
There are 3 flagging badges
Best I can tell there aren't any close vote badges
So the badges basically encourage you to bug moderators instead of communally voting to close bad questions
@JohnGB That's okay. It was for several people. :)
I think the flagging badges are more for Stack Overflow. They get hundreds of flags a day.
16:55
Huh. Even there isn't closing the preferred method though?
They get a lot more spam on Stack Overflow. And probably a lot more incivility. Those are the kinds of things that should be flagged.
True. It just seems odd there's nothing for successful close voting
Oh, that's a good point.
maybe because it will get people to close things they wouldn't normally want closed
just for the badges
and then the mods have more work opening closed questions
Searching for that on meta is difficult. All I get is "How close am I to badge X." :)
17:05
That's why you only award it when a question is successfully closed
12
Q: Badge for Closing Question

GravitonI think we should have a badge ( or a set of badges) for the users who close a sufficient number of questions. Closing question is a form of community service and therefore deserves rewards. Note: Now don't try to close this question in the name of illustrating the irony :)!

One person might spam close votes but unless there's a reasonable consensus nothing is actually closed
You only need a few vote happy people to be a problem
@PatrickMcElhaney Huh, looks like it was pretty much ignored
@JohnGB Well if that's the case the flag stuff would have been a big problem too, the only difference is flags are approved by moderators. The spam would still exist though
fair point
17:11
this Vladocar guy is promoting his own product as his answer
haha
in 2 questions now!
16
Q: Which prototyping tools?

Richard SlaterThis links heavily into the following question: What are some great web-based prototyping tools? However I didn't want to limit the suggestions to "Web Based" tools, I have found and used the following tools for prototyping, wireframing and mockups in the past with some success: Balsamiq Sk...

@PatrickMcElhaney thanks!
you're quick
@MattRockwell Dang, I could have flagged it if you hadn't brought it up!
Seriously though I've wanted that first flag badge and I've never seen anything to flag here =(
One of his answers was flagged automatically. :)
I didn't even get to see them
17:17
i clicked the link in his answer, scrolled to the bottom, low and behold, his name haha
17:36
What do we have to do to get an answer flagged automatically?
"I am prince Iban el Ghamni from Nigeria. I need you help in getting 40 trillion dollars out the country. For a small sum of only $10,000 I will give you 10% of this.
^^ would that work?
The algorithm is written down on a scrap of paper and stored in a vault in SEHQ. Only two trusted SE employees have the combination, which according to legend is Jeff's birthday in the form MMYYDD.
18:14
@PatrickMcElhaney Are you guys (the moderators) actively watching for close votes then? Because our community is not nearly large enough to regularly get the number of votes needed to close off-topic items. Most of the time, closed items only happen because a moderator comes in after at least one vote/flag in order to close it. I can probably count on one hand the number of questions here that have gotten the full five close votes.
@MattRockwell I knew we could agree on something :)
@PatrickMcElhaney That's the reason that I've flagged things that should be closed - to help you guys see the off-topic questions so you don't need to watch everything.
@CharlesBoyung Finally! :)
18:39
@CharlesBoyung I've seen a couple things get closed, don't they only need 5 votes?
 
1 hour later…
19:39
Not is a moderator like Patrick or Rahul votes
they carry more weight
19:50
Five votes to close. A moderator "vote" is binding.
20:05
@BenBrocka Yeah, but we don't have very many people that actually pay attention to this sort of thing like many of the other SE sites do.
20:41
@CharlesBoyung Very true. I watched and we got enough votes to close on two questions in one day, that was probably a fluke though

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