links for 2009-02-08

Desperately sad news about Katharine Everett, whom I worked with at the BBC.

"We used a variety of methods to gain a better understanding of these aspects within each market. We carried out a competitor analysis; we did some extensive 'number crunching' to interpret usage statistics and qualitative surveys. And we also engaged with the users themselves. We initiated online forum discussions, where we asked for feedback about specific aspects of the site such as navigation, legibility, layout etc. We also organized user-testing laboratories to find out about the interaction and usability aspects of the sites". Great post from the very talented Tammy Gur.

"My entry features at least two errors, one libellous (unless my mother has been keeping a dark secret, I am not Roy Hattersley’s son)". Although there does not appear to be a Wikipedia page, erroneous or not, for the author at all?

"On a side point, is Kent TV having an option marked 'dunno' in an online poll really an example to Kent schoolchildren?"

"The Bivings Group took another look at The Use of the Internet by America’s Largest Newspapers , and compiled a list of 2008’s top ten Newspaper sites".

"Applying Agile techniques to other fields (such as news and journalism) is itself an experiment that should be handled in clear storycard-like chunks. It may not work, and it certainly would be a culture shift. I think, for cultural reasons this is a strong reason to involve geeks, entrepreneurs, and others in this process — and to team them together with journalists to promote knowledge transfer". Interesting thoughts about applying Agile to news

You got to love a good troll - having claimed to have heard the new DM album and suggest it isn't very good, winding up everybody in the process, this comments comes next: "Thank you all for your entertainment, all my declarations about the new album are pure fantasy. I don’t have the album, and I didn’t listen to the tracks."