Media: Users come in for a bashing in The Register's Security Thinkpiece

"The clueless users who refuse to upgrade" by Tim Mullen of SecurityFocus writing in the The Register is not kind to the folks who have been opening email attachments lately. In fact, his remedy, feeling that education has failed, is to inflict upgrades on everybody by withdrawing support for older versions of software that are more liable to allow breaches of security.

'Many will be quick to point out that it is Microsoft's "crappy code" that allows people to open attachments in the first place, but let's take a look at that: all "recent" Microsoft software does not, in fact, allow one to do so - not easily, anyway. Outlook 2000's "e-mail security patch" was released almost four years ago. And though still officially supported, that product is three major versions in the past. Security years are like dog years, so this is like using a product made back in 1976.

'The only thing in my house that was around in '76 is me, and possibly that pink fuzzy thing in my refrigerator.'

Read it because it's amusingly written and touches on the important social issue in security - perhaps without coming up with the solution.

Associated Link: The Register: 'The clueless users who refuse to upgrade'

All change at the top for System Concepts
Source: System Concepts Ltd, 3 July 2009
 
Leslie Fountain has been promoted to joint Managing Director of leading usability consultancy System Concepts.

Life in UCD immortalised in fiction: you couldn't make it up
Source: UN, 2 July 2009
 
Sarah Herman's fictitious book on life in a user-centred design company has hit the shelves and The Guardian's book pages...

Interfaces Magazine - Issue 79: The Education Issue
Source: Interaction Group, 1 July 2009
 
The latest issue of Interfaces is now available as a free download from the Interaction Website.

Two new Behavioural research Tools from Noldus
Source: UN, 30 June 2009
 
Tool updates make on-site behavioural data collection easier.

Cell Phones that Listen and Learn
Source: MIT Technology Review, 29 June 2009
 
New software tracks a user's behavior by monitoring everyday sounds.

Top Six Don’ts for Usability Testing
Source: FutureNow Inc., 27 June 2009
 
Six tips for creating quality usability tests to ensure useful feedback from testers.

Usability: ‘Lovely software. But I can’t work it’
Source: FT.com, 26 June 2009
 
In a recent survey by Global Graphics, 77 per cent of office workers estimate they lose up to one hour a week because business software is difficult to use.

And what do you do?
Source: Dexo Design, 25 June 2009
 
How do you describe your job role? Here are the results of a recent 'Preferred UX/UI Title' Poll.

Most Doctors cite Usability as critical to Electronic Health Record Adoption
Source: TMCNet, 24 June 2009
 
It's all about 'meaningful use'.

Glossy monitors look good but can hurt
Source: QUT, 23 June 2009
 
A new advisory cites research which suggests high gloss monitors make users sit awkwardly.