Interview Jon

21 Nov 2019

Non-expert

Jon is a writer who works on many collaborative platforms throughout the day and constantly uses speciality writing websites as a power user. He is interested in the Web primarily for getting work done and for entertainment.

Key findings

• Doesn’t really pay attention to URLs
• Never types addresses in, just uses search and hopes it translates that into taking him to the right website
• Only notices anything with a website when there is a big warning
• Has some understanding of URL structures from having to write for blogs and use Wordpress
• Doesn’t understand why some addresses have HTTP and other HTTPS
• Thinks of P2P as something would not expect to see or even know if using and generally used for pirating media

Interview notes

• Writer work perspective quite often in Google Docs or Dropbox or dealing with shared files a lot of the time
• Uses thesaurus.com online a thousand times a day
• Shortcuts setup on Mac for cliches and idioms search pages
• Client wise researching client website a lot of the time if writing that
• Lots of Youtube non-work as well as lots of blogs
• Limited news sites like Guardian to read news but hates it
• Always on Amazon
• Letterboxd
• Uses the Web for cataloguing of stuff want to consume
• Mainly Chrome, recently got a new MacBook and started using Safari a bit more - naturally go to Chrome first
• Mobile browser a lot - Ecosia for a while and then back to Safari
• Religiously use Alfred on Mac typing straight into that
• Never open a browser and start using it, go there to Alfred
• Mobile use Safari icon long press to search
• Never type addresses in - would just use launching thing and hope it translates it
• Part of his job is to help brands, so aware of URLs but not really looking at them - couldn’t tell you difference
• When clicking around sometimes look - orientation if the website is not clearly signposted then will look to see where is for instance blog to see where is
• If land on blog, for instance if someone shared blog link, he would delete to go to the blog and delete out after the .com and slash
• Feel the need to work out navigation would rather not have to so has this backup
• Because inexperienced but used WP sites, know different pages need different addresses (slug) this is the specific point on the website - this is the hierarchy of the website /home /culture and things like that - Guardian website you’re in a section within a section within a section
• Should be looking for what is going on but otherwise would only notice if big red x or something - no idea what it is if it’s Chrome or the web address is telling me something
• Notice only if it’s a big warning
• Look at URL to find out where thinks is - HSBC
• If someone sends link, will look at link and see what looks like and if it’s genuine
• Will sometimes look at the URL if have time and thoroughly will use URL shortener but for someone like Amazon will use share button - aware of thing that is sending
• Don’t understand why some addresses have HTTP or HTTPS and some don’t have any of it - notice that changes but don’t know why - guess sort of care but ordinary don’t - does it give away part of my identity or something I’m doing
• Don’t know what P2P think have vague understanding of what it means - Thinks back to Napster - file sharing and torrent sort of sites - guess is that stuff is stored everywhere rather than one place
• Handy place to steal things
• IF using P2P site would not expect to see, wouldn’t think they would have to advertise as such - no don’t really have any expectations
• Don’t know if landing somewhere does’t mean I’m connected in other ways than was before
• Its for me to choose to opt into
• If I’m sharing would actually want to know if was automatically on a site - expect to see something change in the URL area as well as the site itself
• Possibly trust if something indicated something in URL area was more positive or official than if they put it on the website
• How much control doe the site have over what goes in the URL? Who manages it?
• Can contact again in the future