If it’s good, it’ll probably be repeated. If it’s repeated, it’s shared. — fundamental axiom
Scenario
I’ve just spent a bunch of time and effort creating a brilliant piece of writing. I want to share it with the world. Well, maybe not with everybody in the world, but at least with people who’d appreciate it.
The socialNet Engine says:
“Add 3 groups to share your buzz in”
Cool. That’s a great way to urge me to focus on interest groups. I like the concept.
So I pick 3 of my favorites. Or perhaps just the first 3 that seem likely. I can’t add more than 3 groups, but that’s probably not a limitation… right?
The socialNet Engine says:
“Attention! You’ve already shared this content on three groups. [ OK ]”
This errorMessage is
- words without meaning (i.e. there’s no context for why)
- action without solution (and – furthermore – No, it’s not “OK” … to me)
I respond:
“Yes, I have. And I’d really like to share it with more groups.”
Why wouldn’t I want to?
And why wouldn’t the socialNet Engine want me to share with more groups?
What’s wrong here?
- I’ve been prevented from sharing
- I cannot complete my task
- There is no “workaround”
Problem #1:
Timeliness: the socialNet Engine does not indicate that there’s a problem with its process (not mine) until I click the [ Publish ] button.
Problem #2:
Voice: the socialNet Engine ‘s interface and interaction for the error are what we can only call ‘user antagonistic’.
Problem #3:
Bad Precedent: the socialNet Engine is doing the exact same (counter-productive) thing as many other socialNets.
the Lesson:
Learn from your competitor’s mistakes. Don’t emulate them
the Solution:
Make it easy to Pollinate
- Maintain 3 shares as the bottom line for publishing any article
- Also allow me to share with more than 3 groups. (I should think that the socialNet Engine would actually want me to do that.)
- Usability: Support “sticky info” – If I shared my honey with groups A, B, and C last time, then there’s a good chance that they’re my favorites. Pre-populate them as my default sharing choices – or offer them as the first 3 on my picklist. Even if you guessed right only x% of the time, you just made my publishing workflow easier by x%.
© The Communication Studio LLC
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