Aza Raskin's hat
The LugRadio Winter 2008 competition to win the much fabled LugRadio Finger of God! Listen to Season 5 Episode 12 for the competition announcement.
We have a winner!
Thanks to all who entered. Our winner, and now proud possessor of the LugRadio Finger of God, is Richard Querin!
We actually couldn't decide between two entries, and we were quite worried about which should win the coveted and prestigious prize, when we realised that they were both by the same person anyway. So congrats to Richard, for these two winning hats for the glorious Aza Raskin!
Other cool entries
Gregor Bočič
(which is possibly pronounced "bo-chicka-wow-wow", which will please Jono)
AZA, t'was a difficult quest to find a suitable Hat for you, but I think I've found the right one. BEHOLD... THE JONO BACON HAT
(brain not included). It came with a note: "While the Jono Bacon Hat is not very
useful in the traditional sense, it has a special power: wearing it, you shall
cleverly disguise yourself as a LUGradio team member, namely: Jono Bacon - the
others will think you are the Jono Bacon - you will be able to secretly sabotage
LUGradio and plant your Humanized mind control device (your ultimate goal). When
you eventually find out that there is nothing left to sabotage, you may infiltrate
Canonical, posing as Jono Bacon, Community Manager - you will be able to secretly
manage the community (whatever that means) and force them to make you their God
and provide sacrifices, like goats and penguins and command-line freaks.
Daily."
But watch out! If the real Jono Bacon appears , do not be alarmed: he is of no danger. Even if there will be two Jono Bacons, your fellows will not notice (nor will Jono, but try not to think while talking or else the team will sense an intruder) - they are too busy arguing and picking on Chris. Make a bad joke and leave while they laugh wholeheartedly.
Mikko Nurminen
The working principle of the Aza's Usability Moose Crown is quite
simple. By focusing his otherworldly sense of UI design to the Diamond
of Right-Click in the front of this regal headgear he sends out energy
waves, amplified by the Mighty Moose Transmitter Horns, that resonate
with every piece of electronics in the universes known and unknown.
Upon impact these waves transform UIs of the said electronics into
something that even a mere woman-born human being can hope to begin to
understand. These waves are expected to hit our dear Earth in the year
2929. Until then it's good old click-menu-click-click-menu-FAIL-retry
in the UI front.
Based on: http://www.flickr.com/photos/xjy/51519638/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuellar/282746002/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/expeditions/533580940/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124324682@N01/422119614
Patrick Finch
The classic stovepipe top hat is what Isambard Kingdom Raskin needs.
Easy to locate, (and easy to locate the wearer), easy to put on and easy
to take off, but really not the kind of thing that the user does
unthinkingly.
Alistair Campbell
I know you asked for something that improved the usability of Aza's hat,
but in the great Lugradio tradition, I couldn't help taking the piss.
This is probably the most insulting possible hat for Aza on two counts:
- It's an icon of un-usability, a tea pot where you burn yourself every time.
- It's from Don Norman's book, not his dad's.
PS. I don't have anything against Aza either, so if you read this out, say that I liked his article on the Linguistic Command Line!
Thomas Dybdale Ahle
Richard Querin (again)
It is clear to us that Richard really, really wants the Finger of God.
Also, he did the best hats. Good work, fella.
What Richard needed to do to win
Aza Raskin, he of the mad user-experience skills and silly hat, sent us the following email:
Dear LugRadio Compadres,
Please permit me the privilege of your valuable airtime to espouse a rather concerning story, and a plea for help. As bastions of the peace, defenders of the free and true believers of Fitts Law and Spatial Nautilus, I know you are the right people in which to share my dilemma.
A few weeks ago while hiking in the Andoro-Sorvano Mountains in Fiji, I was climbing the steep hills and mountains with my good friend and bearer of concerning sideburns, Jono DiCarlo. While hiking, Jono, who openly confesses to not being as good as your Jono, hit what can only be described as a sticky wicket. While walking, I put one perfectly designed foot forward after another perfectly designed foot, but despite my careful hike-manship, I slipped and fell towards the edge of the cliff, holding on the edge for seconds, but my hardback copy of Designing For People weighed me down and plunged me into the brush of the trees below - with a tear in my eye, I saw Jono go sliding down a mud river, sideburns shivering with fright, to which I have not seen him since. While I fell into the bushy abyss, I blacked out for what I estimate to be six hours.
When I awoke, I rose to my feet, and with a gritted determination, I set off to get back to civilisation. As I walked though, something felt different. Something felt wrong. It was as if as I fell, something left me, something that was deep, connected and part of the psyche of Aza Raskin, was no longer present. I walked for what felt like days, but what was really hours, and I found a small spring to wet my brow and quench my thirst. As I bent to drink from the majestic pool, I saw my reflection and to my horror, my hat...was gone.
That day was six months ago. I have since sold my company, taken the huge coffers of the Mozilla organisation and used said coffers to travel the world to find an apt hat replacement. I have a unique, nay, masterful understanding of hat fashion, and people often refer to me as Aza "The Hat" Raskin, or sometimes just...The Hat.
As the premier Open Source podcast, please, please help me in my quest to find a hat of pure gold, a hat that defines me, my inner being, my life, my essence, my soul. Can your listeners help?
Regards,
The Hat
The competition was to send us pictures of Aza with your hat design. Be sure and explain why your hat improves usability over Aza's existing headgear. The best entry won the LugRadio Finger of God!
PS. We really like Aza; he's speaking at LRL USA, and he's a genuinely nice and cool guy. So, Aza, please don't beat us up.