Comments on: Lotus Notes, AOL for the Corporate World http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/ while(!(succeed = try())); Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:10:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Ed Brill http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1132 Ed Brill Thu, 14 Feb 2008 20:49:15 +0000 http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1132 Nick, it's interesting that you say that, since Notes 8 is delivered atop Eclipse.org. Eclipse in fact does take on the UI elements of the operating environment, which of course would be more obvious if you could view a video of Notes 8 on Linux or the upcoming Mac version. Lotus did 2000 usability tests prior to shipping Notes 8. 30,000 companies beta tested this new version. Maybe it's still not the epitome of usability, but it's moved far ahead. You should also read the blog of the lead UI designer, www.marybethraven.com Nick, it’s interesting that you say that, since Notes 8 is delivered atop Eclipse.org. Eclipse in fact does take on the UI elements of the operating environment, which of course would be more obvious if you could view a video of Notes 8 on Linux or the upcoming Mac version.

Lotus did 2000 usability tests prior to shipping Notes 8. 30,000 companies beta tested this new version. Maybe it’s still not the epitome of usability, but it’s moved far ahead.

You should also read the blog of the lead UI designer, http://www.marybethraven.com

]]> By: Nick Berardi http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1117 Nick Berardi Thu, 14 Feb 2008 03:34:19 +0000 http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1117 Hi Ed, I am sure the people at IBM have made great strides since they took over the software from Lotus. However previous version left such a bad taste in my mouth... I did however review the YouTube video on Lotus Notes 8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmgRnk5VSO0 Lotus Notes 8 no longer looks like a Web Page from the early to mid-1990's. It has now advanced to the AOL 7-9 interface that was introduced back in 1999. Why can't they just give up on interface design and make it look like the environment? Java apps have supported this for a long time, and presumably they are programming this in Java since they have the Java powered icon in their about window. I just don't understand their tendency to create horribly ugly interfaces. Just by viewing this video I get the sense of a 10-ton application. It doesn't have the light airy feeling of a Mac app. Perception is reality when dealing with users, and the perception of Lotus Notes is that it is bloated by all the custom graphics they use to create the application. Hi Ed,

I am sure the people at IBM have made great strides since they took over the software from Lotus. However previous version left such a bad taste in my mouth… I did however review the YouTube video on Lotus Notes 8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmgRnk5VSO0 Lotus Notes 8 no longer looks like a Web Page from the early to mid-1990’s. It has now advanced to the AOL 7-9 interface that was introduced back in 1999. Why can’t they just give up on interface design and make it look like the environment? Java apps have supported this for a long time, and presumably they are programming this in Java since they have the Java powered icon in their about window.

I just don’t understand their tendency to create horribly ugly interfaces. Just by viewing this video I get the sense of a 10-ton application. It doesn’t have the light airy feeling of a Mac app. Perception is reality when dealing with users, and the perception of Lotus Notes is that it is bloated by all the custom graphics they use to create the application.

]]> By: Ed Brill http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1116 Ed Brill Thu, 14 Feb 2008 03:18:49 +0000 http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1116 Hi Nick, I invite you to take a look at Lotus Notes 8, where (finally?!) usability was a major release criteria. Over 2000 usability tests conducted, major changes and improvements that address most of your complaints. On the hieroglyphics point, this was invented as a way for users to validate that they entered the right password prior to pressing enter... as a way to ensure that the password prompt is actually the Lotus Notes prompt and not a trojan horse. I realize this is not obvious on the surface, but it's not random, either. Hi Nick,

I invite you to take a look at Lotus Notes 8, where (finally?!) usability was a major release criteria. Over 2000 usability tests conducted, major changes and improvements that address most of your complaints.

On the hieroglyphics point, this was invented as a way for users to validate that they entered the right password prior to pressing enter… as a way to ensure that the password prompt is actually the Lotus Notes prompt and not a trojan horse. I realize this is not obvious on the surface, but it’s not random, either.

]]> By: Nick Berardi http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1114 Nick Berardi Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:01:25 +0000 http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1114 Come on Travis don't take me seriously. It was a little demonstrative prose. If it was really the greatest job since sliced bread I could deal with a green screen and a 13 inch CRT. But honestly the job was boring as hell and the company was unorganized for new developers. So I quickly moved on to a company where I was needed and a job I liked, working on www.yellowbook.com Come on Travis don’t take me seriously. It was a little demonstrative prose. If it was really the greatest job since sliced bread I could deal with a green screen and a 13 inch CRT. But honestly the job was boring as hell and the company was unorganized for new developers. So I quickly moved on to a company where I was needed and a job I liked, working on http://www.yellowbook.com

]]> By: Paul Coddington http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1113 Paul Coddington Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:18:00 +0000 http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1113 So many corporate applications seem to be train wrecks. Feature poor, badly designed and obscenely expensive (Crystal Reports and SAP also spring to mind in these discussions). It must be hard for competitors to get in for some reason or these things would have died out long ago. So many corporate applications seem to be train wrecks. Feature poor, badly designed and obscenely expensive (Crystal Reports and SAP also spring to mind in these discussions). It must be hard for competitors to get in for some reason or these things would have died out long ago.

]]> By: Joe Smith http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1112 Joe Smith Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:35:21 +0000 http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1112 Changing hieroglyphics? Really?! Changing hieroglyphics? Really?!

]]> By: Travis http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1110 Travis Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:07:35 +0000 http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1110 >So the lack of fulfillment and Lotus Notes drove me to look for another job after only a month and >a half at the company. Yeah I'd make a career decision based on the mail client I use at a job, sure, that sounds like a great idea. You are coming across as a sound and reasonable individual (not...) Most of what you complain of is a result of poor tech support. Any product will leave a bad impression if it is setup up improperly. >So the lack of fulfillment and Lotus Notes drove me to look for another job after only a month and >a half at the company.
Yeah I’d make a career decision based on the mail client I use at a job, sure, that sounds like a great idea. You are coming across as a sound and reasonable individual (not…)

Most of what you complain of is a result of poor tech support. Any product will leave a bad impression if it is setup up improperly.

]]> By: Eric Hundin http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1108 Eric Hundin Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:48:11 +0000 http://www.coderjournal.com/2008/02/lotus-notes-aol-corporate-world/#comment-1108 I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you. Eric Hundin I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you.

Eric Hundin

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