Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The original review:
The user interface for this software is the very worst p.o.s. that I have encountered in 30 years of working with computers. It violates every known rule, or even half-baked hypothesis, of usability.
It is arguable that blindfolded chimps that are high on LSD could do a better job of designing the user interface -- in fact, that would be a really interesting experiment, perhaps something that the National Geographic IT Dept (hello, pointy-haired boss? hello?) could sponsor and then describe in a future issue of this once-competent magazine.
Some additional information:
For those who may be wondering, as I am, how a venerable institution like the National Geographic Society produced a series of poor quality software products over the past 15 years, there is an article at Harvard Business School [...]) that provides useful background information. Two quotes from the article:
"It turns out that many things that made National Geographic one of the world's top brands during its 123 years are obstacles to overcome. Like many other print publications, National Geographic's subscription revenue has declined significantly, from $284 million in 1999 to $211 million in 2009. The value of becoming a member of the Society, once a matter of prestige, has eroded. The institution has made large bets on various forms of media--Internet, movies, TV, cable programming--but is still trying to figure out the best strategy for integrating them. Despite repeated structural changes, employees still operate in silos."
"[National Geographic CEO] Fahey says his leisurely pace of change was deliberate, that creative people take longer to accept change. However, "He's been at it 12 years, and people's first loyalty is still to their silos," [HBS Professor] Garvin observes."
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Apparently change is coming, but very slowly.
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