It's travel time again. I am headed to the Phoenix, Arizona, suburbs to visit a few newsletter readers in their homes or offices. I'll be traveling with a group of software developers from Footnote.com as they perform “usability testing” of some new software they are developing. Thanks to this newsletter's readers, the next release from Footnote.com will already be well tested before it is released.
You can read more about the planned in-home and in-office visits at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2008/02/attention-mesa.html. As I wrote in that article:
These in-home visits are a fascinating experience. It may sound a bit scary to have seven people show up at your front door and then have them all watch as you use a computer. However, experience has shown that the results are worth it. The software developers gain valuable feedback that would be difficult to obtain elsewhere. Those we visited on previous trips all seemed to enjoy the experience. Each visit will last about one hour.
I hope to travel light this time. I'll carry a tiny, two-pound laptop computer and a wireless EV-DO modem that weighs a few ounces. In theory, I should be able to post new articles during the week on a regular basis. However, the computer gods do not always cooperate. There is always a possibility of equipment failure or other unforeseen difficulties. Please do not be surprised if I do not post articles for a few days.
Besides, I may be busy visiting all the Mexican restaurants in the Phoenix area. I am a fan of Mexican food, and Phoenix is a great place to indulge!
