Archive | October, 2011

A note to the designers of mobile websites

31 Oct

I’ve just had a bad experience with two different mobile websites. Firstly Dominoes. After googling the address I naturally went for the mobile site, thinking it would be quicker. And perhaps it would – if I had lived in the USA. No indication that it was a US site until you were well into your order. So I gave up and got the laptop out.

Later, hubbie having annexed the laptop, I tried Boots Treat Street. All went well until I tried to sign in. You’d think that would be a pretty basic function on a site designed to collect points but no, that’s not one of the features of the mobile site.

Nothing daunted, I clicked on the link for the full site, entered my details and clicked submit – only to be taken straight back to the page telling me I couldn’t do that on the mobile site. A few moments’ experimentation showed me that I could dance this merry circle all night if I wanted to. I didn’t want to, so again I gave up.

These are not my only bad experiences if this type, so designers of mobile web sites, please note: I don’t want a mobile website because it looks pretty. I don’t want it because its cool and all the other sites have one. I don’t even care how quickly it loads if it doesn’t perform the basic function I went to it for. If the mobile version isn’t actually easier to use on a mobile than the normal site, I would prefer not to have one. Please bear this In mind in future!

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The Hidden Dangers of Freebies

24 Oct

This morning as I walked out of the station in the herd of other commuters, I spotted people huddling under a brightly coloured beach umbrella, handing something out to passers-by. This is not an unusual occurrence; at least once or twice a year there are people handing out freebies at rush hour. I’ve had chocolate bars, drinks, and even a Gillette razor. This time it was a bottle of Powerade Energy, berry flavour. I took one and made my cheery (yes, that’s sarcastic) Monday morning way to work. I had a quick squiz at the ingredients as I was opening it – natural flavours, caffeine, vitamins and serious-sounding minerals, no doubt designed to do you lots of good. Fair enough. It wasn’t until halfway through the morning, and halfway through the bottle, that I noticed all the health warnings: Not suitable for children. Not suitable for pregnant women. Not suitable for those sensitive to caffeine. Not intended to be consumed in high quantities. Ulp! The point of the drink is to provide energy for high-intensity activities – so of course a bunch of desk-bound commuters are the ideal candidates. The drink was quite nice, I have to say, and if it weren’t for the dire warnings, maybe I would have drunk it again. As it is, though, I’ll probably stick to something safer – like lighter fluid.

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Getting a wee bit excited…

20 Oct

My book, Leda, now has a proper page on the Troubador website  – where, theoretically, people can buy it!  Except it hasn’t been printed yet, of course.  You can see its page here. (It’s not that exciting if you’re not me, admittedly.)

The publication date is given as May next year, but that’s just a necessary fiction to meet the needs of the books trade.  I am not wise in the ways of wholesalers, so I will bow to the publisher’s superior wisdom.  I’m hoping it will be a real book, and in my hands (and the shops), a lot sooner than that, though!

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A Brush with Criminality

18 Oct

This weekend I spent a couple of hours howking weeds from between paving slabs in the name of community action, organised by Reform G43. Despite being fairly backbreaking, it was actually fun. I realise that sounds unlikely, but if you do almost anything as part of a friendly group, it becomes fun – and besides, it certainly had novelty value. I received mostly positive comments from passers-by, and lots of requests that we come and clean up nearer their home (what’s the opposite of nimbyism?).

Some participants didn’t get such a good reaction, though. People tutted and gave them dirty looks. This seemed like a pretty strange reaction to people who were sweeping up litter and pulling out weeds – until one of the leaders pointed out that, faced with people in high-vis vests doing menial work, they probably assumed we were all on community service orders! That made me laugh quite a lot, especially as the group was largely made up of mild-mannered churchgoers and angelic kids from the local Boys Brigade. Reform G43 – the latest criminal plot to hit the south side of Glasgow?

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Grey Hair

7 Oct

What is this new fashion for young girls dying their hair grey or white?  At first I thought I was seeing dye disasters, where it was supposed to have come out blonde or black or purple even, but had unfortunately gone wrong.  Then I saw more teenagers with these colours  and my mother (my mother!) told me that it is a real fashion.

There was once a fashion for grey or white wigs (17th – 18th century I think), but I was always led to believe that it happened in a time when age was venerated.  Now we live in a youth-orientated culture where 30 is considered past it – so why the grey hair?  It does actually look ok on some people (grey does – white just makes people look dead) but it also makes them look like some terrible trauma has turned them grey before their time.

Not being a teenager, I’ve started getting white hairs myself, and naturally the mind turns towards whether or not to dye.  I don’t think I’ll be dying the rest of it to match, though.

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