Google Play Music Silo?

Google, when I access Google Play you should be able to look at the hundreds of albums I've pushed up to my music cloud and eliminate those that I already possess from your advertising sections.

Google Play Music shouldn't be a silo.
 
Today I have the Make-Out Music section at top. Scrolling through the albums in that section I see several albums I already own and have in my Google Play Music library. Wouldn't that space be better used to present other albums to me?

At a minimum, the ones already up in my cloud library should get a check mark like you do with apps and books, when I see them in the Play store.

There's always room for improvement, even for people who do computing that often makes me say, "That's so cool."

Thanks,
Brian

You say "exploit" I say "follow"

How DARE corporations use the loopholes lawmakers politicians created. I'm not even an Apple fan, but if it's a loophole in the law, isn't it more accurate to say 'following' the law instead of 'exploiting'?  Nice attempt at throwing the public 'Eye of Sauron' elsewhere.

I know, small government fans, you were expecting Apple representatives to be walking the streets handing out cash along with hugs, and are heartbroken and shocked that you haven't seen them yet. :-|

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57585449-37/lawmakers-lambaste-apples-tax-strategy-as-outrageous/

...because computing is F-U-N!

It's things like this humorous Google legal warning that makes me want to work there, and puts a smile on my face.

 http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57575277-93/chromebook-pixel-legal-warnings-show-sense-of-humor/

If anyone and Google, or Google venture capital, ever wants to fund or hire me to help them build an adult education/continuing education registration software email me.  Until then, thanks for the smile.

- Brian

Watched Item Deletion advice for Ebay

Ebay, your delete process on ended listings I've been watching is poorly engineered.  The minimum clicks required for me to remove a single 'Ended' item is three. Three? That's right, three!

1. Check a box next to the item I wish to remove.
2. Click on the Delete button either above or below the watched items being listed.
3. Click the Confirm button on a confirmation pop-up window.

If you make me click the boxes next to the items and then click the delete button I'm going to call that good.  The following confirmation just becomes a very annoying and unnecessary step. What's next, a confirmation to make sure my confirmation answer was what I really meant?

Now, I can see that your intent is to promote people keeping active listings in their watch list, or perhaps preventing accidental deletions of active listings.  However you can handle this in a much more elegant fashion.

Here's how...

You obviously can tell the status, 'Ended' versus a time left value.  Simply check the list of items I've marked to be deleted after I click on either Delete button.  If all are 'Ended' just do it! No confirmation.  If there are any active  items THEN fire a confirmation pop-up that tells me WHY you are asking for confirmation.

Something like:

"You've chosen to delete 5 watched items, 2 of which are still active. Are you sure you want to delete these 5 items."
cancel (text) and confirm (button) options

or

"2 of the 5 items you're deleting are still active.  Are you sure you want to delete these items."
cancel (text) and confirm (button) options

-Brian

Consistency and Clarity

Consistency of word use and information architecture are the initial win or lose items in your software or on your web site.  A win means you’ve successfully provided relevant and effective breadcrumbs to the information your users need to get done what they are attempting to accomplish.  A lose means you’ve been inconsistent or confusing in your word use and structural flow.  You fail because you’ve introduced fear, uncertainty,and doubt (FUD) and forced the user to make a best guess. Whether they guess correctly or not, even correctly more often than not, is not the point. The point is to create a path to information that is direct and sensible and keeps guessing to an absolute minimum.

Be Authentic

It all begins with being authentic.  Look people in the eye, not because I tell you to, but because you appreciate it when people do it to you.  Pay attention to what they are saying, actually actively listen.  Respond sincerely, clearly, and directly.  Sometimes your response may be something that's not easy for you to say, or easy for them to hear, but if you do it honestly and with respect you'll almost always get those things returned to you.

Advice for Microsoft

Here's some more of my advice for Microsoft. 

You're a software company. Go make some software that impresses. On any platform! If people aren't flocking to your mobile platform go earn their respect on the other platforms. Pull them to you by making awesome stuff. I know, I know, you're a big company and you don't think you have to do that any more. But you do, and you should!

While you work on your mobile operating system why aren't you at least impressing us with a few elegant and useful apps for Android and iOS. What would be sweeter than being THE app in any category on those systems. Want the Zune music store to be successful? Enable people to use it on any platform. People might start thinking "I loved my Microsoft music app on my Android phone. I wonder what else they have that's as awesome on Windows phone." 

Being THE office suite on the Macintosh sure helped you while you constructed Windows. I know you understand what I'm telling you. Now do the hard part and act on it.