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A Journey Done

My colleague and I have been on-site with the client for almost 2 weeks now. The work we've been doing for the last year has finally come to fruition this weekend. We've been building a conference management solution including everthing from event setup and tracking to registration and check in. The system builds the event programs in PDF format as well as the badges attendees get at check in. Despite the complexity of the system and numbers of people going through checkin, things have gone swimmingly. The programs look fantastic. Check in has been unbelievably smooth to the point that even the attendees have commented on how great it's going. It's really gratifying to see our software become almost invisible because it's functioning so well. I really like seeing all those badges floating around at the hotels and the conference site. I want to grab people by the arm and say "I did that!" But, I'm a professional so I keep that excitement to myself mostly. But I said all that to say that it makes all the long hours and hard work worth it to see the pleasure on the client's face. But now I'm just ready to go home and see my family.

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Interface Design

As software developers, we're constantly being reminded about good UI design. Issues like color schemes (are they web safe?!?), screen layout, interface density, etc. are constantly being brought up. But good interface design also applies to things like phone menus: is the voice understandable? are there too many options in one section? etc... Case in point: I called a company today to try and get some information but sadly, it was after hours. I thought I'd try just in case they had long hours. I get transferred to the queue where I am informed that there are 0 calls in front of me. I am then put on hold and am offered some swank jazz to ease the wait. I didn't get a "We're closed. Please call back during business hours." I got put on hold behind 0 other people waiting for the next available customer service representative. So I hung up. It's kind of funny but that's not the sort of customer service a company should want to provide...

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Apple Culture

I've been planning on getting a powerbook this summer if everything works out all right. As such, I've been looking more and more at all things Apple. One thing that's always annoyed me about Apple users is the fanboy mentality of most of them I've talked to. These people have had an insufferable superiority complex because they're machines were cooler. I never bothered to point that most of them were technically inept and liked clicking pretty buttons but there you have it. So it was with some amusement that I pulled up to the Apple Friday night.

I was there enticed by the release of Tiger (not to mention the giveaways...). The place was *packed.* It got me to wondering, what is it about Apple that inspires such zeal. Then it occurred to me. It happens because Apple cultivates it. What other company is like Apple? When was the last time you hit the Microsoft store? Did you go to a Windows XP release party? Or how about a Red Hat release party? (IRC parties don't count. :) ) Their success, despite persistent predictions of impending doom, is due, at least in part, to this culture. I don't know of any other company that has succeeded at building a cult following on this scale.

It's a fascinating culture. I've seen people get Macs and then turn in mindless fanboys endless flaunting their superiority in a matter of weeks. It's a sad side effect of the iCulture. Though, I'm looking forward to getting a powerbook and learning OS X for myself, I'm going to try hard not become "that guy." Time will tell how much luck I have with that. :)