BetterExperience

On this page I'm writing down my thoughts about my graduation from the last two weeks. They are an attempt to get at a better user experience ;)

Critique

There were some doubts in the teachers team about the project. I'll quickly summarise what I got from their critiques:

• It's doubtful whether Cookie Monster and Miss Piggy are the right characters
• The project should stir up a strong emotion like a shock about what the browser is doing
• The project should stay closer to reality and reveal which scripts are at work
• There is a danger that I'm pointing my finger at the user saying: "bad user!"

Google language

In the extension of staying closer to reality I tried to construct my characters from language only found at Google privacy pages, terms of services and the language they use in their services. This resulted in the following text:

I've kept all the footnote references intact as to give an idea of where I've cut in the texts...

(A and B will address the audience unless stated otherwise)

A	(important) At Google, we are keenly aware of the trust you place in us and our responsibility to
protect your privacy.1

B	(enthusiastic) Yada, yada!

A	As part of this responsibility, we let you know what information we collect when you use our2 web properties.3

B	(serious) Yada

A	We may use a range of information […] to provide you with advertising […] including cookies4, 
Cookies can be used to store data about the user's computer or5 IP addresses6. 
Every computer connected to the Internet is assigned a unique number known as an (IP) address.7

A	We do not use your email address […] to send commercial or marketing messages8

B	(strongly) Yada yada!

A	(strongly as well) Absolutely not9

A	We provide information10, including IP addresses11, to help copyright holders manage their
intellectual property online.

B	(towards A) Yada?

A	(towards B, hesitant) Absolutely12 (reassuring) [but] it's not possible to determine your identity
solely based on your IP-address

B	(relieved) Yada!

A	We provide13 IP-addresses … (hesitant) and usernames14

B	(towards A, shocked) Yada!

A	[And] cookies15

B	(towards A, mad) Yada yada yada yada yada yada yada yada!!!!

(A flees from the scene followed by B in pursuit)

A	(while fleeing, panicked) Don't misuse [us]16 

B	Yada yada yada yada yada yada!!!!

(A returns) 

A	(quickly, under pressure) Our focus remains on providing you with the best possible […] experience 
and we continue to be committed to protecting your privacy17

(A runs of again towards the other side, B is still chasing)

B	Yada yada yada yada yada!!!!

Ideas for game elements

While creating the clip I experienced problems with communicating that tracking is something that also happens to you. I visualised that the main character was getting tracked, but it wasn't clear that this happens to anyone that doesn't take precautions. That's why I choice to focus on developing the game, because in that medium the sense that this is happening to you as a gamer is stronger.

Job security

In this variant a user is told that it is Friday afternoon, it's almost weekend, and that the gamer is bored with not a lot to do. Then the gamer is presented with a few platforms like Youtube, Facebook, Gmail, Newssites, Wikipedia, Some-Kind-Of-Dating etcetera. The games has to choose what to visit and the gamer is some how entertained on each platform in a fixed way. This means that visiting Youtube will result in viewing a single video and Facebook in browsing a funny profile of a fake friend. What the gamer only realises at the end is that the traffic is being monitored and if the gamer leisured too much he/she gets fired.

A possible variation is that the person gets a bonus when he/she gets fired in the form of the right to participate in Googles Screenwise program, which pays you 25eu for all your browsing behaviour

Relevant infographic: