December 5th, 2006
For now, new Torrent-based YouTube competitor Zudeo is a kludge
Java BitTorrent developer Azureus has just launched its new video sharing site, Zudeo.
At first glance, I was quite impressed. Unlike YouTube's often grainy videos, Zudeo offers high-def video clips. Contributors get the option to tag their uploads and you can watch for free as well.
But when I tried Zudeo earlier today, I found myself in kludgeville.
OK, so you see a screen grab from a video that you want to download. So you first have to fetch and install the client.
Now I've downloaded the client. I click on the freeze frame. Nothing.
I call up the downloaded client. Huh?
Talk about complex and awkward, man.
What's missing here are complete, what I call "first-you-then-you" sets of instructions that walk you through the process. In this grab I made of their home page, I've even drawn the cursor to where the Help tab ought to be.
Ought to be, but isn't.
I'm big on first-you-then-you. Maybe I am prejudiced about this matter, because I have written several books enfused with these types of steps. But still, any site or related service that doesn't offer clear instructions is a site without a key content component.
Not surprised, though. Azureus seems to be one of those start-ups with cubbyholes full of diligent, if overcaffeinated developers. And you know the type- they mainly talk to other developers rather than users.
It's not arrogance that such sites are devoid of practical first-you-then-you help files. It simply doesn't occur to the code jocks to do this type of thing. Venus and Mars analogies apply for sure.
But when companies full of overcaffeinated code jocks start presenting the fruits of their labors to the public, what they really need are people to write the instructions in a way that a wide variety of audiences will understand.
Russell Shaw is an enterprise computing journalist, analyst and author based in Portland, Oregon. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
