TOPIC: New Career

Hello all, I've been absent a bit lately and wanted to share my exciting news (well, at least I think it is exciting).

I was approached by and have accepted an job offer Thomson Electronics (owners of RCA, GE, Technicolor and a few other consumer electronics). I will be working on their user interface and usability team. Yeah!

The good: I will get to play with new techno-gadgets.
The bad: As I am just starting I will not be able to make SoCal yet again.
The ugly: See "the bad" above.

Stu, congrats bro! Sounds like a cool job, I'm jealous.

As for not making it to So Cal, that sucks but there will always be next year and of course Indy. Maybe you could convince your new job that there are some new and innovative gadgets in Los Angeles that MUST be researched and that you are the ONLY one qualified to come out here... and oh yeah, this research will be the same weekend as GenCon. They'll go for it i'm sure.

-Douglas

*pounce* Congrats Stuart! That is awesome news about the job!

But of course you will be missed at SoCal :cry: Afterall, who ever is going to pick on me about being a pesky pixie and threaten to rip my wings off if I don't fly right, like having my older brothers around to help me feel at home.
Of course, you know pixies rock!

Oh and congrats again!

Comgrats on the job, Stu. Um...... what will you be doing? *she asks, hoping that she doesn't sound stupid*.........???

As I sit in my LX Force Feedback Gaming chair with my wireless E-

Dimensional 3D Gaming glasses on, wearing the head tracker motion

sensing cap while one handing an N52 Nostomo speedpad for single left

handed typing and utilizing the Voice recognition software I say

Congratulations and keep me posted. I had to find out the hard way that

some of this stuff was junk for the purposes I bought them for. Most

Online games don't accept interaction software...and no I have never

considered wearing all that stuff for halloween and going as one of the

Borg....The chair would be uncomfortable.

Way to go with the job.

Comgrats on the job, Stu. Um...... what will you be doing? *she asks, hoping that she doesn't sound stupid*.........???

I am a firm believer that no question is ever a silly question. (Except those who ask if TD is fun. Now THAT is a silly question.)

I will be doing two main things. First, I will work with a small team that designs the on-screen menus and interfaces for programing devices such as your TiVO, DVD player, TV settings, phones, etc. This part of the job is a combination of design and tech writing. Once the design is accepted, we write up detailed specs for the manufacturers to use. The most exciting part of this is I will get to travel overseas 2 or 3 times a year to our partners in Paris or Hong Kong. I've never been to either an am excited. (Of course, my rusty Spanish will do me little good now!)

Second, Thomson has an excellent user-testing lab. It looks just like a studio apartment complete with a working kitchen. The testing apartment also has a wall of two-way mirrors for an observation room and a number of cameras and microphones. We will test "consumers" on the use of various gadgets. We test everything from the design, to the install processes, to the ease-of-use of these gadgets.

So in some ways... I'm the Wizard of Oz. I sit behind the wall and give commands and test people.

As I sit in my LX Force Feedback Gaming chair with my wireless E-

Dimensional 3D Gaming glasses on, wearing the head tracker motion

sensing cap while one handing an N52 Nostomo speedpad for single left

handed typing and utilizing the Voice recognition software I say

Congratulations and keep me posted. I had to find out the hard way that

some of this stuff was junk for the purposes I bought them for. Most

Online games don't accept interaction software...and no I have never

considered wearing all that stuff for halloween and going as one of the

Borg....The chair would be uncomfortable.

Heck! It sounds like you have your own testing lab!! Ever considered moving to Indianapolis? Maybe doing it full time?

If not, then I'm comin' to play at your place!!

How cool Stuart!

Another silly question, What time is the 3 o'clock parade?

Another silly question, What time is the 3 o'clock parade?

:smt044 :smt043

And the infamous, "What's the number for 911?"

You wouldn't believe how many times I was asked that parade question when I worked at dland.

I also had one gentleman(I doubt this word actually applies to him) ask if he could come hunt the ducks at Disneyland. *blink blink*

Or, a woman who after I four times stated about them having seat belts on an attraction, exclaim 'wow, its just like a seat belt!'
*blink blink*

Or, 'How long is 50 minutes?'

Or, *guest looks at posted wait time* 'So the line is longer than an hour?'
No its 60 minutes.
'So its longer than an hour!'
No it is an hour.
'nah uh, 60 minutes is longer than an hour!'
*blink blink* Well trust me that the line is about an hour.

Never had anyone ask me for the 9-1-1 number.

How cool Stuart!

Another silly question, What time is the 3 o'clock parade?

I suppose it depends on the time zone... with or without daylight savings? WWDD?... What Would Disney Do?!