Over the past 2 years, I’ve learned Michigan’s weather is as forth-right and direct as its inhabitants. Seasons last very long, and then snap you wake up one morning and it’s 20 degrees colder/warmer outside.

Welcome to Winter. I think I was wearing shorts 2 weeks ago.

Last night, whilst scraping various, alternating, layers of ice and snow off my car, a large bundle of wool and fabric trundled past me with 2 large dogs. A female voice echoed forth:

Her: “That doesn’t look like much fun.”

Me: “It’s just the beginning now, isn’t it?”

slight pause

Her: “Thanks for cheering me up.”

So I was trying to download an audiobook from the NetLibrary. Now, I already have to suck up a lot and use Internet Explorer on Windows to even use the service. Even then I couldn’t get it to work.

Here is the official support response:

OCLC NetLibrary eAudiobooks are DRM protected. Your computer’s date/time clock settings must match the actual time zone, be set for the correct time of day, and must be as exact as possible. If the settings are off, DRM won’t allow the download.

Follow these steps to resolve the problem:
1. Close any Internet Explorer windows that are open.
2. Go to the Control Panel (click Start, Settings, and Control Panel) and click on the Date/Time icon to change the clock.
3. Confirm that the date is set for the correct day of the week.
4. Confirm that the clock is set to the correct hour and minute (don’t worry about seconds).
5. Also, confirm that it accurately reflects AM or PM depending on the time of day.
6. Lastly, check the time zone setting and verify it is correctly set to your time zone.

That’s great. So, I can’t get a book because my desktop doesn’t match the server’s time. Obviously a good example of how DRM helps everyone. But, hey, I don’t have to worry about the seconds. That’s really user-centric designed. They’re so thoughtful.

Of course, the error message:

The linked you clicked is no longer valid

was very helpful at the time as well. The instructions themselves bounce between full-explanation (how to change the clock), to skipping details (what if I don’t know what this DRM demon was and why he’s holding onto my bits!)

There’s a very large, and good reasoned grumbling about Apple’s repeated bashing of their own HIG (Human Interface Guidelines). Daring Fireball has alleviated all of our pent up frustration as developers and users in a hilarious parody that reads like a true-to-life-made-for-TV script. The iTunes 5 Announcement From the Perspective of an Anthropomorphized Brushed Metal User Interface Theme

A short excerpt to whet your appetite and make sure you read the whole thing:

Brushed Metal: I told you something was fucked up when the new version of Mail didn’t go with me.

Mike: You’ve got a nice long-term deal with the Finder…

Brushed Metal: That two-timing piece of crap?

Mike: …iChat, Calculator…

Brushed Metal: Calculator? I’m out of iTunes and you tell me I’ve still got Calculator? When is the Special Event scheduled for the next version of Calculator? Oh, that’s right, there is none, because no one gives a shit about Calculator.

As a developer of Mac OS X applications, Windows apps, and various cross-platform and web-applications, User Interface consistency is a real bear. Apple’s Interface Builder really helps alot by providing built-in guides and tools for meeting their published HIG, if not their employed HIG. However, using toolkits like WxWidgets which targets many platforms, having an OS consistent interface is difficult.

However, no matter how difficult, interface is extremely important