heldtogether

Why use ed if you have cat?

I still cite this article when discussing A/B testing with clients. They often want to bypass the testing process because "it's an obvious change".

"There's no point in making trivial adjustments, ... on a site this big and this complex, it is impossible to predict how even the smallest changes might affect the bottom line. Fixing the wonky images, for instance, might actually hurt Plenty of Fish. Right now, users are compelled to click on people's profiles in order to get to the next screen and view proper headshots."

This isn't to say that everything must be A/B tested, but it's very easy to overlook the fact you can negatively affect the site by making an apparently positive change.

I was once refused a consumer credit application for a kitchen appliance because I'd forgotten to sign the back of my credit card. I had a passport and a photo driving license on me at the time but because there wasn't a signature they "couldn't be sure" it was me so they refused to process the application.

I signed it in front of them (which matched my passport signature BTW) but was politely declined as they'd seen the card unsigned.

Another example of security policy getting in the way of actual security.

Having something rammed down your neck like you're a 10 year old never really helps. Being a victim helps people remember the basic things. Have a couple of people walking around placing stickers on laptops that are unattended. When the owner returns they'll see a sticker saying something along the lines of "your laptop has been stolen", and they'll quickly feel foolish for dropping their guard.

It's not a bad idea, but there are so many things that need considering. For example, you can't have more than 500 investors before you're required to declare your accounts. For a company that's in a growth period rather than a 'making shed loads of money that looks good to your average joe on the street' period, declaring your accounts isn't necessarily a good idea.

Secondly when you have shareholders you have to be seen to be doing things to increase value for your shareholders, and not necessarily for the long term. Raising money doesn't always coincide with making profit, so the companies would be exposing themselves to potentially hindering lawsuits (which would probably be dismissed but are definitely distracting).