Check out these cool freelancer links

Ben and I surf the internet.  That’s true.  When we come across something interesting, we like to share it.  We’ve adopted the User Experience Design group over on Diigo as a place to share our links publicly.

We thought it might be fun to share some of our favorite recent links here at a Better User Experience.

 

Join.me

Join.me is a screensharing and remote desktop web app.  I have to say I was very sad to see DimDim move to a paid service. This type of service can be invaluable for anyone working remotely or doing support of any kind.  Where do you want the image on the website?  Which part of the diagram should be bigger?  Can you see the menu in the top left corner of the browser window?  This service can fix those problems.  Skype has been my go-to app for screensharing  – but it doesn’t do remote desktop.  I’ve not used any services like this before, but people who have are complete converts.

All right.  I just tried this with Ben.  It works!  You have to, as the host, download and run a .exe (1.5 mb).  The room is started when the participant gets and links on the link you send.  You start a room and you copy a unique link to share with participants.  They click the link and a browser opens with your desktop.  Cool. and “Ridiculously simple”

 

Backstory

Here is an interesting tool – not exactly an A/B Testing tool, but I’m added it to the UX Directory anyway.  It CAN be used as an A/B testing tool.  Basically, it tracks where users come from when they reach your page and serve a specialized page to that user.  If you know people from NYC like to see trendy people, then you can display trendy people images on the site.  (Trendy is their term).  This opens the door for all kinds of possibilities.  Visitors from certain URLs, like a positive review of your product, could be given a tailored message.  Because you know the ‘Backstory’, you can engage them in new and interesting ways.

Do You Make These 5 Common Negotiating Mistakes?

This one comes from Laura Spencer over at Freelance Folder blog.  I’ve been completely unaware of making these mistakes in the past.  Hear that?  That’s the sound of me breaking the unconscious incompetence barrier.  I now stand in the warm glow of CONSCIENCE incompetence – I now know the rules I’m breaking.  I’m looking forward to correcting these mistakes – probably gonna take some practice.

UI Test

Did you ever own a Volkswagen?  Neither did I, but I imagine driving one would be like using this website.  Its a no-nonsense tool for checking your website with many different design tools.  It’s fast and easy – like a 1978 Volkswagen Scirocco.  Doing all of these tests – many I’ve never heard of like, HTML Outline Extractor and HERA – is a part of a good website review and critique.  A few tools are available via the Site Check automated tool. And, tons of others are linked to in the sub-sections of the site.

Ending with something fun:

Draw a Stickman

 

This is a way fun time waster.  It sort of reminds me of the old flash animation fights back video.  Basically, it’s an interactive game.  You are given instructions to draw your character and then draw things to help it move thru the game.  It’s not only fun, but inspirational.  This is the innovation I expect from so many of us monkeys banging on typewriters.  Be sure to check out the user submitted art.

 

Enjoy!