Umang's Blog

Google Wave Critique

2010-10-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

UI Design Aspects For Google Wave

Umang Jain

Google Wave’s UI maximizes their users’ performance and usability by enabling them to accomplish lots of tasks and sharing them in a single product. But, as far as user’s experience comes under consideration, it fails to deliver.

UI Design Overview

In the UI design, the top left navigation panel enables any user to locate her folders, see her extensions, and search for keywords. The panel in the bottom left allows the user to manage or search her contacts. The large panel in the middle, makes the user access her waves, follow them, un-follow them, archive them, move them to archive folder or to spam folders, trash them or mark them read/unread. The panel on the right shows the wave clicked in the inbox. A user can browse waves from this panel and also can reply to the waves using text, images or various gadgets.

UI Design Metrics

User Performance Time

The Google Wave was very slow when it was launched. It used to crash very frequently. But, now that it has stabilized it is quite fast and has a good performance time.

User Learning Time

The user learning time is very large, as the UI is very complex and the terminology used is not understandable.

Users’ Retention Time

Learning Wave looks very complicated which makes its users’ retention time very small. Also, its backward incompatibility with Gmail made it of no use for quite some time just after it was launched.

User Subjective Satisfaction

Google Wave has a questionnaire that enables users to give their feedback but only if user wants to. It never asks for feedback by itself.

Good Aspects of the Design

New technology of real time communication and collaboration.

Every feature is on the same page. No re-loading of features again and again (dynamically handled). Makes it fast.

Character-by-character live typing.

Ability to drag and drop files from desktop.

Sharing images and other media in real time.

Improved spell-checking by understanding not just an individual word, but also the context of each word.

Personalization with extensions.

The editing history timeline is a great User Experience feature.

Attractive widgets like Yes/No/Maybe widget, Map widget, etc.

Google’s new scrollbars were designed and they completely merge with the design. They do not take space as they are on top of other elements.

New waves for discussions, meetings, brainstorming, or task tracking.

Excellent logo design, it makes people go for it.

Bad Aspects of the Design

UI is very complicated.

A user’s posts can be edited by other users if not marked as un-editable. This process should be reversed, i.e., a user’s post should be un-editable by default which is not the case.

It isn’t backward compatible with Email (or Gmail).

Terminologies like waves, wavelets, local wavelet, etc. are not clear to general users.

Privacy issues are there, like a message send to someone cannot be restricted from being forwarded.

It is not designed to tell if your message was ever received, read or even opened.

New things move to the top regardless of how important they are. Important things should remain on top (see work desk as a metaphor, important papers always remain on top on a desk).

Once posted, a user cannot take it back.

A user cannot lock out everyone else.

Wave is not designed to control spamming which takes a lot away from its users’ experience.

Wave was very buggy and slow when launched. This drew the people away from it.

Conclusion

Although, Google Wave was an exciting project and pushed the boundaries of computer science with its exciting features. It gained numerous loyal fans for its innovativeness and extraordinary features. But, it did not get the user adoption as Google would have liked.

Indian Premier League 2010: Homecoming

2010-02-12T01:18:00.000-08:00

Indian premier League is all set for its homecoming from 12th march 2010. IPL 3 involves eight teams, 184 players, 12 venues, 60 T20 matches and 45 days of full-on entertainment. It has not been lagging behind by any means when it comes to being in news whether it being inclusion of Pakistani players, or playing of Australian players over security concerns, or the Shiv Sena threat.

Last year, IPL was not as effective as it was on its debut. It could be because the venue was S. Africa. Or, may be people did not had that much excitement as it was on the first time. While the viewer-ship increased but the feel of cricket was missing. But this year, its back with a bang. 20% more has been spent in advertising the IPL this year. It has been done in 3 stages: first being with the 8 captains shown excited about being back in India, second being on homecoming theme which is a huge campaign in its own and excepts to sweep whole India in it. Here are the link to the promotional videos:

Stage 1:

Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai Indians):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaswpMvUR4M

Sourav Ganguly (Kolkata Knight Riders):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sXBTP4PjCI&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=225B4D0F63986D47

Anil Kumble (Bangalore Royal Challegers):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S21W42s4nTw&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=225B4D0F63986D47

Gautam Gambhir (Delhi Daredevils):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6rv9_NUQH0&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=225B4D0F63986D47

MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNxHrZ2ZdtA

Shane Warne (Rajasthan Royals):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EGBMegdyHo&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=225B4D0F63986D47

Adam Gilchrist (Deccan Chargers):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPmc1RqGT00&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=225B4D0F63986D47

Kumara Sangakara (Kings XI Punjab):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwPmoC61l2w&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=225B4D0F63986D47

Stage 2:

This being one of the best ads IPL could come up with... it gives us the feeling of togetherness and unity... much better than "Phir Mile Sur" by zoom...which sucked (according to me)... ;)

Controversies:

No pakistani Players bought during IPL 3 auction created a big controversy. First, Indian govt. was blamed for negotiating terms with the team owners. But, after govt.'s refusal to admit that SRK and Modi came up with their disappointment. (My view: Shahrukh himself could have bought a player from Pakistan instead of showing his disappointment).
Shiv Sena warns Australian players and Pakistani players not to come to India over racism against Indians and terrorist attacks respectively.
Shiv Sena, again as usual, warns SRK not to support Pakistani players but SRK did not backed out from his comments like poor Karan Johar, again creating controversy over MNIK's release.
AP sport minister has asked Deccan chargers to boycott IPL over shifting of matches from Andhra Pradesh.

So, why would IPL3 be a hit?

OK, here is the answer: Guys, its cricket, then, its in India, then, its T20 (much better than slow ODIs), better advertising as we just saw, then, great players competing against each other and by far the best reason is that we Indians love competing against each other (Think guys, how big a racist country we are amongst ourselves.. we discriminate among each other on everything, so, why not cricket... ipl gives another reason for us Indians to fight.. so why not cash upon it)...

Something is missing:

IPL 2010 will have players from only 3 teams majorly: India, Srilanka and South Africa. People are so much bored of India Srilanka contests and SA players don't interest us too much. This season will surely miss players from Australia, England, West Indies, New Zealand who will miss the first 2 weeks and especially players from Pakistan because of the fierce rivalry between the two nations.

The End

IPL3: There will be a lot money involved, there will be a lot of betting on it, there will be lots of feelings and emotions..... But for us it will just be another way to enjoy and a source of entertainment.....

And,

Its just the start guys, not the end.... so enjoy... ;)

Post your views as comments please...

IPL ends in style...summary and its side effects..

2008-06-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

So finally Indian Premier League has come to its end........ Rajasthan Royals winning it has shown that Cricket is not an individual game but its a team game. Kolakata knight riders made profits in its 1st season only considering their large stadium(capacity of more than 1 lakh people).

The inaugral season of IPL had everything that it could have......from great encounters between the 8 teams to poor performanes of hyderabad and bangalore........ from Harbhajan-sreesanth slapsgiving to warne-ganguly debacle............ from sharhrukh khan to preity zinta......... from delhi crowd enjoying sachin getting out to mumbai crowd booing yuvraj singh....... from Dehi skipper Sehwag getting hit by a stone from Delhi audience to people passing comments on cheergirls.......... from great leadership of Shane Warne to great control of emotions from Dhoni's team (making them the winner of Fair Play Award which indeed was a great concept)....... from the orange cap (batsman) to the purple cap (bowler)..... It was full of entertainment.

In the end, Rajasthan Royals came out as winners which they thoroughly deserved as they were at the top of the table after the league stage. We couldn't have asked for more as final was fought till the last ball.

Even the stats show that Rajasthan were miles ahead of other teams.....

3 out of top 5 bowlers were from Rajasthan in terms of number of wickets taken........ Sohail Tanveer(pak), Shane Warne(Aus) and Shane Watson(Aus).
3 out of top 10 batsmen were fro Rajasthan in terms of runs scored....... Shane Watson(Aus), Graeme Smith(SA) and Yusuf Pathan(Ind).
Sohail Tanveer was the highest wicket taker of the tournament and Shane Watson getting the Player of the Tournament award.

Best Batsmen: Shaun Marsh(Aus) - 616 runs. Best Bowler: Sohail Tanveer(Pak) - 22 wickets.

IPL's Side effects:

The worst effect of the IPL will be on the Indian team only.... considering the Bhajji - shree slapster......yuvi getting booed at mumbai.... sehwag stoned at delhi..... Even during we saw spat between the Indian playes mostly.... International players of the same country were taking it very lightly when playing against each other in the IPL .......being it shaun pollock v boucher or shane warne v symonds..... but sree v bhajji, amit mishra v yusuf pathan, sreesanth pointing towards the seniors(bujarg) in the new pepsi Ad...

Are Indian cricketers just doing it for publicity???? Is it all about getting famous and not about playing with the spirit of the game????? Wats ur take on this? Do reply to this post.....

wish me luck

2008-05-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

tomorrow is the semifinal of the college cricket tournament........itsCS RAIDERS(3rd yr CS/IT team) vs 4th yr CS.....i hope we win it n go on to win the tournament...........that will be so gr8......

All Projects Completed...

2008-05-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

M feeling very relaxed today...........even though i hav my exams starting frm 12th may..still m feeling a lot relaxed now.............as all my projects are completed n all are demonstrated to teachers.................n everything went gr8....

Compiler design
Computer Graphics And AI
Computer Networks
Project Mgmt

Does any of u in my collg hav any worries left after project submissions????? i hope not so......m sure no one worries abt the exams........hehehe...........

Delhi Daredeviils

2008-04-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

hi,
went to see the trial match of Delhi Daredevils at ferozshah kotla with piyush, prateek and DJ....
the stadium looked very good..........the newly installed flood lights looked awesome..
seeing daniel vettori n mcgrath was gr8.....
had fun there............

umang

First Post

2008-04-14T14:39:00.001-07:00

hi everyone!!
I am starting this blog.......n this is my forst post