Geoff Hart

Articles by Geoff Hart

Nobody reads manuals, do they?

We technical writers have a mantra that we mutter quietly whenever someone asks an "obvious" question about...

Don

In a previous column I discussed how on-screen clues called affordances help the users of your software...

The domino effect: changes have unforeseen consequences

Complexity fascinates me: the more I learn about how computer hardware interacts with software, including the operating...

The bad times of “Good times”

Over the past few years, most network managers have received at least one panicked message warning of...

The desktop wars, year 2000 version

Like most computer professionals, you've probably had your fill of preparations for the year 2000. Ideally, you...

Garbage in, garbage out: using affordances

In my previous column, I invoked the "Garbage in, garbage out" law to explain the need for...

Throwing out garbage with validity checks

There's an ancient law of computing that goes something like this: the results of any calculation can...

User

Devil's advocates can bridge the two solitudesHaving worn the technical-support hat, I know on a visceral level what it's like to work ...

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