Feedback: just use it

Microsoft is listening to the public. But who's doing all the talking?

You’ve been pwning ferociously in your favourite FPS. Headshot after headshot you slaughter several foes, and introduce them to an inanimate state of failure. Sprays of curdling blood mark your territory – you’re in the zone. Then, as you emerge from the shadows, you hear the most horrifying noise one can possibly experience in this nerve-wracking situation...

*bling*

Windows has, apparently, encountered an error.

It’d be safe to assume that a user’s reaction would be to annihilate said dialogue box. Rarely do users read such error notifications. Sometimes we catch a glimpse to establish a rough idea of the issue, or – more likely – the notification is ignored completely, much like that delirious emo kid down the street. And then there’s this feature which pops up, almost mockingly, asking us a favour regarding reporting the error to Microsoft. In disgust, most people push the ‘cancel’ button with no second thought. “That’ll learn you, Microshaft!” We laugh on the inside.

But the joke is on us.

Microsoft is listening, but no one’s taking
Recently we’ve been introduced to the new Windows 7 GUI, or at least, what has been developed thus far. The results are looking positive in comparison to that of Vista and its older siblings, but how do the designers know what we want?

Believe it or not, Windows 7 is being designed based on user feedback. And no, it’s not from Joe Average’s tech blog of awesomeness and win, but rather feedback from user encountered errors, work habits, and software usage. This approach is what users have been longing for, particularly by those who understand the true downfalls of the Windows OS design. But there’s a flaw. One that has been existent ever since XP introduced their customer feedback initiative – most people ignore it.