1. Yesterday, I finally got around to uploading all the photos from my wedding onto Facebook.  I then went through and began the process of tagging and captioning all those photos (about 190 in total), something I’m pretty sure Facebook users are expected to do.  Unfortunately, a bit over halfway through tagging the friends and family in these photos I received the above announcement.  I was blocked from tagging any more people, as I was “misusing” this feature.  I fully understand and encourage Facebook taking steps towards stopping spammers and harassment.  I do, however, have a few questions to this block from both the perspective of a customer and a user experience designer. 1) Why is Facebook punishing a user for using a feature?  Tagging is a core feature of Facebook.  Beyond the large number of tags in the short time period, what evidence did Facebook have that I was misusing this feature?  If other users found my tagging disruptive, they have the power to remove themselves, un-friend me or even report me to Facebook (which I’m nearly certain did not happen).  2) Why does Facebook use such scolding and aversive language in both the warning that appeared before this message?  Especially when implementing a system where it is possible that there are false positive, I would think that as a developer you would either tone down your language to take those false positives into account, or allow for some way of contacting support if you think there has been a mistake.  Instead, they insist the mistake is completely mine and make threats about banning me from the site. While I realize that my use of Facebook is a privilege not a right, Facebook is profiting from my using their product.  I have complained about Facebook updates and privacy in the past but this is honestly one of the first things that Facebook has done that really makes me want to use a different service (cough… Google+). As a user experience designer, I know the importance of respecting the user. Just sayin’….</rant>

    Yesterday, I finally got around to uploading all the photos from my wedding onto Facebook.  I then went through and began the process of tagging and captioning all those photos (about 190 in total), something I’m pretty sure Facebook users are expected to do.  Unfortunately, a bit over halfway through tagging the friends and family in these photos I received the above announcement.  I was blocked from tagging any more people, as I was “misusing” this feature.  I fully understand and encourage Facebook taking steps towards stopping spammers and harassment.  I do, however, have a few questions to this block from both the perspective of a customer and a user experience designer.

    1) Why is Facebook punishing a user for using a feature?  Tagging is a core feature of Facebook.  Beyond the large number of tags in the short time period, what evidence did Facebook have that I was misusing this feature?  If other users found my tagging disruptive, they have the power to remove themselves, un-friend me or even report me to Facebook (which I’m nearly certain did not happen). 

    2) Why does Facebook use such scolding and aversive language in both the warning that appeared before this message?  Especially when implementing a system where it is possible that there are false positive, I would think that as a developer you would either tone down your language to take those false positives into account, or allow for some way of contacting support if you think there has been a mistake.  Instead, they insist the mistake is completely mine and make threats about banning me from the site.

    While I realize that my use of Facebook is a privilege not a right, Facebook is profiting from my using their product.  I have complained about Facebook updates and privacy in the past but this is honestly one of the first things that Facebook has done that really makes me want to use a different service (cough… Google+). As a user experience designer, I know the importance of respecting the user. Just sayin’….</rant>

  2. We performed the second round of user testing for our photo organization software. We have decided to focus in on the tagging aspect of photo organization.  Participants were a series of tasks tasks and worked through a paper wireframe interface. We noticed that once users discovered a way of tagging, they didn&#8217;t deviate much from that process even though there were easier alternatives. 

    We performed the second round of user testing for our photo organization software. We have decided to focus in on the tagging aspect of photo organization.  Participants were a series of tasks tasks and worked through a paper wireframe interface. We noticed that once users discovered a way of tagging, they didn’t deviate much from that process even though there were easier alternatives. 

  3. We performed the first user testing for our photo organization software. Participants were given four tasks and worked through a paper step-by-step version of the task flow chart. The biggest takeaways were that 1) there were often too many choices for participants that left them struggling to make a decision and 2) that we need to be very careful on terminology and make sure that the words we use make sense to users.  

    We performed the first user testing for our photo organization software. Participants were given four tasks and worked through a paper step-by-step version of the task flow chart. The biggest takeaways were that 1) there were often too many choices for participants that left them struggling to make a decision and 2) that we need to be very careful on terminology and make sure that the words we use make sense to users.  

  4. First draft of the task breakdown for our photo organization project in my usability class. This chart shows the possible tasks a user can do at various points while they work. 

    First draft of the task breakdown for our photo organization project in my usability class. This chart shows the possible tasks a user can do at various points while they work. 

  5. Task breakdown for Papers2.  Starting to work on our semester project for my usability class.  We are designing an interface for photo management software and are examining similar products currently on the market.  Papers2 is a document management program.

    Task breakdown for Papers2.  Starting to work on our semester project for my usability class.  We are designing an interface for photo management software and are examining similar products currently on the market.  Papers2 is a document management program.

  6. Pure brilliance.

    Pure brilliance.