Masking - can it be used for good as well as evil?

What’s the problem with masking?

Well, if you use the same password for everything, and it is all in lower case letters with no special characters, capitals or numbers, then it usually isn’t a problem.

However, as password cracking becomes more common and hackers get increased access to computers around the world, people increasingly have quite complex passwords, which vary for different sites. If people get a password wrong three times and are kicked off your site, it certainly isn’t good for business!

Also, as mobile devices with tiny keypads matched with big fingers become more common, so do password errors and the resulting frustration.

What’s the alternative?

Personally, I see two alternatives. One is to simply remove masking altogether, and this is the option that Jakob Nielsen recommends. This would leave your password up on the screen for anyone to glance at and see … I don’t believe that it is just as easy to see what someone is typing by looking at their fingers, as to look at a screen and notice what they’ve typed. This would mean that using a computer in a public space would be extremely limited … or extremely unsafe.

The other option would be to routinely build a ‘Mask’ button into the login page of every website that uses a password, so people could turn masking off when they are in a private space, or on when they are in public. As with many of the best things in life … this is unfortunately NOT free!

Which would be the better option?

I honestly believe that a large proportion of web users would be LESS comfortable without password masking. Please feel free to correct me in the comments if that is the case.

While it is not currently a ‘done’ thing, I also believe that giving users the option to mask or unmask, or creating software that can automatically mask passwords to install on public computers, while websites themselves remain masking-free, are the ultimate solutions.

It is certainly time to challenge the norms … but with new ideas, not just ‘the stuff we used to do’.

Kids - Not like adults

1. Kids are not necessarily masters of the technological universe

There’s a general perception that kids can work out any computer problem set before them, in half the speed of Mum or Dad. They do learn fast … but they also lack the tools to research solutions to problems when they run up against them.

2. Kids are not patient

Kids are even less patient than adults. If your site or download is slow, they might try to download something multiple times in an effort to make things go faster. Chaos results.

3. Use sound for pre-readers

Even tiny amounts of text will completely foil pre-readers. Mum or Dad will have to be sitting there with them the whole time … and your site will end up being passed over in favour of an ‘easier’ one. Use sounds upon mouse-over for pre-readers.

4. Use small words for readers

You can have your text assessed according to the Flesch-Kincaid reading ease scale to help determine if it is actually age-appropriate.

5. Use simulated environments

Kids are not really designed for extensive abstraction. Pictures of rooms, towns, maps etc are actually a great ‘navigational’ aid, tacky as it sounds!

6. Kids don’t mind reading instructions

Adults will almost always use the trial and error method first … and if that doesn’t work, will then go back to the instructions. Kids are more pragmatic. They actually like reading instructions – so use them!

7. Kids will click off the site through advertising much more often

It’s in your internet marketing interests not to have too much advertising on your site, because kids can’t distinguish between ads and site content. They often click ads believing that they are just another part of your site. You might make a few cents on an ad-click … but your little visitor may also not know how to get back to your website!

8. Know the gender of your audience

The differences in what girls and boys prefer to see on websites when they are young is much more pronounced than when they are adults. Boys hate to see too much text. Girls hate it when there isn’t enough instruction. If you have a clearly defined gender audience, make sure you design your website for them.

1. Because you can usually get the same company to do both!

A great number of excellent internet marketing firms today have the capability both to do professional, creative, highly functional website designs, and then get the things to rank highly in Google. Dealing with just one company will make it much easier all round for you.

2. Because there are technical ways to ensure you don’t lose your Google ranking when you re-design

Those ways are a little involved (and truthfully, a little boring!) to be going into at the moment. Suffice it to say that Google’s little bots can make some mean assumptions, and SEO firms know how to placate the presumptive beast.

3. Because website design is about more than good looks

Sometimes, website designers have a keen eye for design … but are completely blind to both search-engine friendliness and website usability guidelines. Both of these factors are part of the discipline of SEO, which is why it is valuable to either use the same company, or have your two firms collaborating for your site redesign.

4. Because Flash can be tricky in terms of SEO

Sooooo many website redesigns include Flash elements. That’s because Flash is a wonderful invention and a blessing to the web (despite Jakob Nielsen’s protestations to the contrary!). However, it does need to be handled carefully in an SEO context. It is tempting to have the most important information about your site – headings, taglines etc – within a Flash element, because it is so visible to visitors. However, Flash is invisible to search engines, so you need to be careful what you do with it.

5. Because a redesign is the perfect time to add or change content

And your content is one of the most important on-site aspects of your Google ranking, and because having an internet marketing firm go over it can make a huge difference to your Google positioning!

I know that budget-wise, optimising in conjunction with a redesign can be hard. But there is so much evidence that doing so is best practice for online businesses, that I would always recommend leaving the old site up there a bit longer, and saving up enough cash to do both. Or at least, talk to your internet marketing firm about payment terms!