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I think this kind of practice is great. However I don't think insulting learners is ever a good idea. "If you got below like 30 on your first attempt, you shou

I think this kind of practice is great. However I don't think insulting learners is ever a good idea. "If you got below like 30 on your first attempt, you should probably practice a little before embarrassing yourself again."

refrigerator 13y ago
I thought it would motivate people to try harder, but I guess it's backfiring... sorry! I'll change it
- GuiA 13y ago
  The thing is, humans are using your app. And when humans are facing something for the first time, if it's not friendly to them, they're going to be taken aback and pissed off. Good products have friendly, warm, inviting copy. You could spin it around by turning it to 11, and call it something like "Speedsums for assholes". Then you could insult the user at every opportunity you get, using over the top curses in a tongue in cheek manner ("4 seconds to solve that? My guinea pig did better!"). If it's clear that it's meant in a satirical way, it'd be less shocking. However, this is much harder to pull off in a way that is funny and stays funny over time. So either make a product with clean, friendly copy - or make one that does the "evil coach" to the maximum. But certainly don't do a mix of the two- that's just very confusing emotionally. (recommended related reading: http://www.abookapart.com/products/designing-for-emotion http://www.abookapart.com/products/designing-for-emotion)
  - refrigerator 13y ago
    Yeah I do see what you mean, I should have either gone the whole hog or not at all, I actually read that book a couple of years ago as it turns out!
- ppod 13y ago
  I liked it, it made me smile. The standard "have-an-amazing-day" tone of sites submitted here is grating after a while.
- spiralganglion 13y ago
  "It should not take N seconds" - I was doing it on an iPad!
  - to3m 13y ago
    Ha. I got this both times I tried the game, and took it as a friendly suggestion that having been given the answer you would be able to recall it instantly the next time the same question came up.
henryaj 13y ago
Agreed - I was quite taken aback by this. Not exactly beginner-friendly...
3pt14159 13y ago
lol, 20 in 30 seconds is pretty good if you don't have a number pad.

refrigerator 13y ago

I thought it would motivate people to try harder, but I guess it's backfiring... sorry! I'll change it

GuiA 13y ago
The thing is, humans are using your app. And when humans are facing something for the first time, if it's not friendly to them, they're going to be taken aback and pissed off. Good products have friendly, warm, inviting copy. You could spin it around by turning it to 11, and call it something like "Speedsums for assholes". Then you could insult the user at every opportunity you get, using over the top curses in a tongue in cheek manner ("4 seconds to solve that? My guinea pig did better!"). If it's clear that it's meant in a satirical way, it'd be less shocking. However, this is much harder to pull off in a way that is funny and stays funny over time. So either make a product with clean, friendly copy - or make one that does the "evil coach" to the maximum. But certainly don't do a mix of the two- that's just very confusing emotionally. (recommended related reading: http://www.abookapart.com/products/designing-for-emotion http://www.abookapart.com/products/designing-for-emotion)
- refrigerator 13y ago
  Yeah I do see what you mean, I should have either gone the whole hog or not at all, I actually read that book a couple of years ago as it turns out!
ppod 13y ago
I liked it, it made me smile. The standard "have-an-amazing-day" tone of sites submitted here is grating after a while.
spiralganglion 13y ago
"It should not take N seconds" - I was doing it on an iPad!
- to3m 13y ago
  Ha. I got this both times I tried the game, and took it as a friendly suggestion that having been given the answer you would be able to recall it instantly the next time the same question came up.

henryaj 13y ago

Agreed - I was quite taken aback by this. Not exactly beginner-friendly...

3pt14159 13y ago

lol, 20 in 30 seconds is pretty good if you don't have a number pad.