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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Tom Stangl mentioned:
> albino left-handed atheists who live in Antarctica
Side rant, triggered by Tom's casual example, but not having much
relevance to the current thread (hey, this is .o-t):
As I understand, there used to be prejudice against left-handed people.
Even until fairly recently; teachers and parents would try to 'switch'
left-handed students to be right-handed. I've never experienced any
kind of negative prejudice because I'm left-handed, and I don't
seriously expect I ever will.
But why are product developers and marketers so dense that they're
willing to tick off 10% of their market on product usability issues?
Let me tell you my story. The other night, I needed to buy some
dishsoap from the store (this is an unusual occurrence, we usually get
Dish Drops by the gallon at the employee store). I noticed that several
of the leading brands were using the same molds for their bottles; a
variation of the classic dishsoap bottle, shortened and somewhat
squat-looking. The important thing is there are corrugated 'swoosh'
shapes around the neck. I grabbed my favorite brand, paid, and went
home to work on a sink full of dishes.
Now, it seems the 'swoosh' imprints on these bottles are more than
decorative, they're also hand-grips. And they work great--if you are
holding the bottle in your right hand. In my right hand, the bottle sat
very nicely, I could easily grip and squeeze the bottle, it was very
comfortable and easy. In my left hand, I got none of the benefit from
the swooshes. If anything, the bottle was somewhat less comfortable to
hold and use than a plain bottle, because my digits were crossing the
shape of the bottle, instead of going with it. Kind of like trying to
use right-handed sewing scissors, except not as extreme. :(
Now, why am I going on about a minor detail of a household product?
Practically speaking, the swooshes made little difference in my use of
the product. But the more dishes I washed, the more times I used the
bottle (hey, it was a big pile of dishes!), the more it bothered me.
The impression I got from that little bottle of dishsoap was that the
people behind the product didn't give a rip about me. So why should I
give a rip about them? More importantly, why should I *want* to buy
their product?
Stupid product developers. Why do they do something that makes little
difference to 90% of their market, and can potentially steam the other
10%?
Steve
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Message has 3 Replies:
 | | Re: Yet Another Episode 1 Question
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| (...) Indeed. I was startled to find out that my SO (age 43) was forced to use his right hand to write with instead of his left in elementary school by having his hands beaten with a ruler if he used the wrong one! The effects still show in his (...) (25 years ago, 18-Apr-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: Yet Another Episode 1 Question
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| (...) Manual pencil sharpeners, table settings, fast food fry scoops, older-style doorknobs, pens and pencils with writing on them, the vast majority of scissors, can openers (a la Simpsons), most water fountains, desks, paper cutters, most versions (...) (25 years ago, 18-Apr-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: Yet Another Episode 1 Question
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| (...) BINGO - my teachers tried to force me to write right-handed. They luckily gave up after a while, because my handwriting is bad enough left-handed, right-handed I might as well be scrawling Sanscrit. (...) Well, that's because <groaner> "we (...) (25 years ago, 19-Apr-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Yet Another Episode 1 Question
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| "Hell in a handbasket" - sorry, there is no way in HECK I am going to censor that phrase, as it is a widely known phrase that really loses most of its' meaning as "heck (or Heavenly Challenged for you PC Dorks) in a handbasket". I'm sorry, but there (...) (25 years ago, 16-Apr-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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