[Sigia-l] Rant about bad IA practice.

[Alexander Johannesen]

Hi,

On 11/5/06, Stewart Dean <stew8dean at hotmail.com> wrote:
> You claim not to able to create websites without it.

Since some of this is from our private emails, here's what I've
written, private or public ;

>> You can live without them. I can't. [does not say 'website']
...
>> I happen to use Card Sorting a *lot* for a lot of different things,
>> doing them in a variety of ways. [!!!]
...
>> I can't do my job without it. ['job', not 'websites']

> I read that to mean you feel card sorting is a good way to do most websites, as in a central tool in the process.

It can indeed be a good way, but that doesn't mean I can't do website
navigation without it. You're jumping to the wierdest conclusions.

> - I think you're missing the meaning of best practice.  Best
> practice refers to an approach you can apply to most projects.

I think you're the one who's confused, and maybe this is the core of
the problem with this debate; you've got your version of what "best
practices" mean, and it clashes with others.

Let's give http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_practice a try ;

"The notion of 'best practices' does not commit people or companies to
one inflexible, unchanging practice. Instead, Best Practices is a
philosophical approach based around continuous learning and continual
improvement."

> So in a general project when do you feel card sorting should be
> used - how do you use it with, how do you prep up the card
> sorting and how to you impliment the outcome?

You're singeling out card sorting, give it minimal context, and expect
that I would defend it from stupidity. I'm not going to do that. Card
sorting can be used good and bad. This is what I keep telling you, but
what you don't seem to agree with is that best practice in terms of
card sorting can add value. Of course it can, just like it can
subtract value. I'm not going to get into a fisticuff over it,
because, as everyone on this list knows, it's highly contextual.

> I'm deeply pragmatic in my approach and need to see how A
> leads to B to use A.

And you assume the rest of us are not?

> I have seen [...]

Yes, we *all* have seen bad examples of this stuff. And then we've
seen good examples. What is your criteria for generalised criticism?

> So if you feel I'm wrong I'm after you saying why rather than
> complaining about things with no alternative.

And I'll join the choir; wow!

It amazes me that you don't see the irony that this very criticism of
yours is exactly what some people here have accused you of. I believe
it was my opening statement.


Alex
-- 
"Ultimately, all things are known because you want to believe you know."
                                                         - Frank Herbert
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