This is what people will smell if you post your comment:

I didn't read the article.

When I clicked on the link I saw a screen full of text and a scroll bar that indicated there were another 20 screens of it. I then read the first paragraph and didn't get hooked. I then 'decided' not to invest the time in reading the article.

A good example of why writing for the web is very different, and a dead tree online presence needs a lot more than just publishing your raw copy.

Posted by: Mac on August 21, 2002 09:31 AM

 

I tend to agree with everything that Mac said.

The first thing that strikes you when a page like that appears is how much effort will be required to get through it all. Having actually gone through and read some of it I can say that there are some very interesting points within the article but they are well hidden and are unlikely to be found by most people.

Many will give up without reading any of the text due to the nature of the page set-up/design while others, like Mac, will read the first few lines and wonder what the hell the thing is about and leave.

Everything about the page annoys me. As with so much of the web there appears to have been little thought put into making the whole experience enjoyable for the user. Reading that article was a chore akin to cleaning the bathroom when learning from the web should be something that is enjoyed.

Posted by: Pedro on August 21, 2002 11:04 AM

 

I read enough to get through the part about the cop the author was initially talking about (a couple screens worth I suppose). Then once it started getting into theory and generalizations, I too looked at the scroll bar and bailed.

JB

Posted by: John on August 21, 2002 12:12 PM

 

Oh, I guess I read all of section "1".

FWIW,

JB

Posted by: John on August 21, 2002 12:13 PM

 

Hey, we have now identified yet another bunch of initials.

JB = John Bedard

Found online at http://www.johnbedard.com

Posted by: MadMan on August 21, 2002 01:05 PM

 

I guess I'm the only square here - I found the article instantly absorbing and greedily read the whole thing. The writer has a very casual and engaging style and I found I easily made it to the end of the article.

But then, I am interested in the subject of human facial expression. I found myself making the same muscular movements as described in the article - I have no idea WHAT my co-workers must have thought!

Give it another chance if you have about 20 minutes to devote to it. It was a pretty quick read because of the style, but I went back over a couple of parts that were particularly interesting.

Posted by: Lydia on August 21, 2002 05:37 PM

 

I found the article absolutely fascinating and will look at faces in a whole new way from now on.

For those of you with attention spans longer than those of mayflies, a good introduction to facial expressions and body language is "People Watching" by Desmond Morris.

Posted by: Simon on August 22, 2002 11:38 AM

 

Thanks, Simon! I'll have to check that out.

Posted by: Lydia on August 23, 2002 04:00 PM

 

It would have been better if the < pre > tag had been left out so that the text would have autowrapped. Also, each section could have (and should have) been put in a seperate file. Other than that, I found it interesting reading. I tend to have a "stone" face myself.

Posted by: Morris Cox on August 25, 2002 11:17 AM