Are we diabetics, or just people?
I was reading an interesting post today about the term 'user' and how it's become over-used in computer systems and software manuals.Josh Bernoff does a good job of pointing out how that simple label affects how we think about people who use our systems and software.
I can't help thinking about the companies that make products we depend on. Glucose meters, syringes, insulin, insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors.
Are the makers of these things thinking of us as diabetics, or patients, or something else? I hope that they remember we're also: children; moms; dads; people who are trying to live our lives despite the challenge of diabetes.
So I'm going to take his pledge here and now. I'll try and let it affect how I write this blog and my life as a software architect.
I promise to avoid the word user whenever possible.
I will think of people who use technology as people, customers, and friends. I won't use them, and they won't use me.
Labels: people, pledge, software
posted by Bernard @ 11:29 AM
5 Comments:
That is very cool of you. I do not like Diabetic or Person.
From now on I want to be addressed as "Ninjabetic!"
:)
Not thinking of people who use software or hardware as users is a positive move. How the people who design the software and hardware we use as diabetics think of us is a good question. Since 1983 I’ve held many positions in technology companies. In sales, I always perceived the person using the software or hardware as a customer. As a trainer, technical writer, and engineer I often thought of that person as a user. In fact, very often it was easy to have a less than positive perception. I usually had a less that positive perception when I had limited or no contact with the customer. I was fortunate that I usually worked for what I called sales centered companies. These were usually companies started by and operated by a person who had spent some time in their career in sales. The others were engineering centered; usually started and operated by an engineer. This sounds simplistic but it’s been my experience.
The sales centered companies were more likely to have focus groups, send out questionnaires, and send out newsletters. They actually had a customer list and they used it to stay in touch. The technology or engineering centered companies could care less or worse they went through the process of communicating and collecting data but they never used the information. Writing this (long) comment (sorry) just makes me angry when I remember those few companies I worked for that just didn’t listen to their customers. Their customers were just users. The trick is keeping track of which companies are staying in touch and which of them are actually listening. They're the ones we want to support. Blog sites like yours give us the opportunity to experience products that we’re not using and learn who is making improvements that actually address your concerns. Instinctively we know that to those companies we’re not just users. Thinking back to your last post, I wonder which pump manufacturer will offer a test drive program first. Thank you for taking your time keeping us informed.
Thank you so much I really needed to hear this especially today. Job Well Done keep it up!
A great topic. It was very thought provoking.
"Are the makers of these things thinking of us as diabetics, or patients, or something else?"
I think you missed it, they think of us as customers and nothing else.
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