Web Worker Daily

Does Your Application Already Do What You Want? Posted: 29 Nov 2008 11:00 AM PST A recent article by the 37signals folks discuss the results of a recent survey they did concerning their Backpack program. One of the things that they noticed was that a good many people were requesting or suggesting features that already existed. I actually run across this all the time in my private practice as people express their “I wish I could…” goals. In a lot of instances it is because features are hidden or poorly documented, other times it is users not taking the time to read the documentation or help that is provided. Either way, these “hidden” features are a drain of productivity on both sides of the coin. Development time on them is wasted if the end users who want them are not utilizing them. So how do you resolve this? Take the time to read the online help for your application. If it isn’t provided, find a new service. See if your application provider has a blog and subscribe to it. Often times this is where they will announce new features as they are released. Look for screencasts and how-to clips. Sometimes they will be produced by your provider, other times they are fan or affiliate sponsored. Either way, they can point you to interesting features or new processes. Find a user group or forum. If your provider doesn’t have one, start one on your own and people will come. Your fellow users are probably your best resource as they are working with the same app and likely doing comparable work. File a support ticket and ask. Let them help you get the most of the application. If they don’t want to help you, find a new service. Taking some time to research the “how do I…?” and the “I wish I…?” features can lead to big productivity gains and is a great investment that can pay off in spades. What do you wish your favorite apps could do? Are you sure they don’t?

HP Magic Giveaway Offers Huge Prizes Posted: 29 Nov 2008 09:00 AM PST Thanks to our friends over at jkOnTheRun for letting us know about the huge HP Magic Giveaway contest. They are one of 50 participating sites that are each giving away a $6,000 prize package containing some great stuff for the Web Worker. The package includes notebooks, desktops, printers, netbooks, software and more. The jkOnTheRun portion starts on December 16th but you can start entering on the other sites today. More details are available from HP and on each of the sponsoring blogs. Good Luck!!

You are subscribed to email updates from WebWorkerDaily To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Inbox too full? Subscribe to the feed version of WebWorkerDaily in a feed reader.
If you prefer to unsubscribe via postal mail, write to: WebWorkerDaily, c/o Google, 20 W Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610