NetSquared is hosting the N2Y4 Mobile Challenge and Social Actions’ Change the Web Challenge, both filled with great projects for people to vote on, with a total of $60,000 in funding and prizes for the winners . Cool! But …
At least for me, the voting process was extraordinarily difficult; I counted 15 steps, and in many cases the instructions for what to do next weren’t at all obvious. It’s a complicated two-step process where you have to first “mark your ballot” and then submit it. Even finding the button to vote isn’t easy — it looks like an ad for NetSquared.  And I’m a trained professional!
NetSquared’s voting instructions help some if you can find them but are primarily text — there’s only one screenshot (and it highlights the “send to administrator link” which doesn’t have anything to do with voting). Fortunately the folks at Capitol News Connection have written up excellent instructions for their project … and it’s straightforward to see how to apply these to any of the ideas in the N2Y4 Project Gallery and Change the Web Project Gallery.
So if you’re trying to vote, check out the instructions below.
And if you’re advocating for a project, consider creating a similar instruction sheet and distributing it to your supporters before tomorrow’s deadline, encouraging them to double-check their votes. If you don’t have the time or resources to do something slick, that’s fine: step-by-step text instructions with links are a lot better than nothing. Voter education makes a huge difference in competitions like this, and it also is a good way of showing your supporters that you appreciate all the hard work they’re doing getting through the obstacles NetSqaured has set up from them.
jon
Sample instructions from CNC for Ask Your Lawmaker
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| Thanks to everyone that has voted so far to help CNC build a mobile application of Ask Your Lawmaker‘s interactive widgets in this year’s N2Y4 Challenge.
If you haven’t voted yet – please do! Think about being able to use your iPhone, Blackberry or cell phone to hold lawmakers to account! NetSquared is awarding $60,000 to the best mobile applications for social benefit – we need your help! To make the voting process easier, please follow the instructions below. …and don’t forget to tell all your friends! |
| STEP ONE: Login or Register. STEP TWO: STEP THREE:
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| STEP FOUR: Double check the sidebar on the right to make sure AYL has been added to your ballot. STEP FIVE: STEP SIX:
After you cast your ballot, you will then be prompted to verify your submission. Triple check to make sure that AYL is on your ballot, then click the ‘Submit Ballot’ button. After that, you are all set.
STEP SEVEN: |
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| Follow this link for more details on the voting process, or click here to learn more about NetSquared.
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jon | 09-Apr-09 at 10:15 am | Permalink
If I can just vent for a second …
Providing good instructions and making sure the vote button is prominently labeled and doesn’t look like an ad is is usability 101. NetSquared and their parent TechSoup look bad when they don’t pay attention to this.
And hard-to-use voting systems give a huge advantage to insiders who know the system — or know somebody they can ask when they run into trouble. They also give a big advantage to experienced advocates, who know to invest time in voter education.
Over the last six months there have been similar dynamics in change.org’s Ideas for Change in America competition and the communityCounts system used by Ask the President. As somebody relaitvely new to the non-profit technology area, this certainly seems to me like a pattern that really needs to be addressed.
Thank you for listening. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled voter education session.
jon
Nicole Maron | 13-Apr-09 at 8:36 am | Permalink
I could not agree more. I actually find the entire NetSquared site confusing and have observed my own attrition rate: I’m up to 4 page views if I really, really concentrate. As a UX architect I, too, find it tragic and in urgent need of redesign.
Thank you for the instructions – I may actually get to vote now!