[IxDA Discuss] TechCrunch defends the life of the "user"

[David Armano]

"It has nothing to do with offending anybody, but it has to do about
feeling empathy for the people who will use what we design and
build."

To the point of my post here:

http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2007/07/custo-consum-us.html

I understand what you are saying about empathy.  Especially in your
context of personas who have names%u2014families and lives.  Creating
stories make them seem like real PEOPLE.  But they dont stop acting
like users, participants or participating in communities just because
they are people.

Personally%u2014and I am speaking for my self, these labels do mean
something to me, especially when I use them.  I feel they help me
remind ourselves what's important.  When someone is a paying
customer%u2014don't we call them customers?  The term "the customer
is always right" may be an exaggeration%u2014but it emphasizes
what's important. That a human being is spending hard earned dollars
for a product or service.

No%u2014for me, using "appropriate" labels doesn't take away from
my feeling empathy toward another human being%u2014but it does help
me meet their needs better.


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Posted from the new ixda.org
http://beta.ixda.org/discuss?post=18748