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> I'd like to suggest that the notion of being
> an idiot isn't so shameful as it might seem.
Here, here!
In a perfect world, my role in user experience (aka usability) would carry
the title of "Village Idiot". (I even tried to convince a former employer to
officially give me that title).
Historically the role of the village idiot (or court jester) was for a peson
that could point out the issues of everyday life in a way that was funny and
non-threatening. Through gentle humor and some introspective mocking, truth
could be brought to light in a way that people could relate to without
needing to be defensive. I argued that this was the exact model for someone
working in user experience, who had to deal with developers who had
ownership in code, creatives who had ownership in design, and business folk
who had ownership in purpose. I also argued that it would be quite the
conversation piece with customers ("And this is Rob, he's our Village
Idiot"). If for no other reason, people would stop and ask why I had that
title, which was a great segue into the importance of accessible and usable
software.
In the end I was tod that although I was doing a fine job displaying the
traits of the village idiot, I couldn't have the title. I *think* it was
meant as a compliment.
Rob Domaschuk | 312.853.8337 - t
Technical Writer | 630.430.4162 - m
Datalogics inc. | 719.623.7431 - f
"Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself."
- Erasmus
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