links for 2008-05-07

Jack Moffett describes the floundering he did after unexpectedly being interrogated by a robot over the phone when trying to make an insurance claim.

"Last year, The Economist published an article about ethnographic user research at Swisscom. One of the findings was that immigrant workers are the most advanced users of communications technology".

"An uncharitable view of Freesat, the free-to-air satellite TV service is that it demonstrates the failure of Freeview. Why else would the very people who begged us to buy Freeview now be urging upon us an alternative, incompatible system?".

"Using social media as part of the production process makes it more authentic, honest and ultimately successful. It's also sustainable - even if journalists & production staff spend all their time doing it, it's equally true that it takes no time at all"