It's with great fun and a small amount of irony that developers utilize javascript like it's going out of style at my current place of employment.
While javascript was used for some rudimentary form manipulation here and there at ePrize during my tenure there, any and all "heavy lifting" was done via the back end "toybox" framework. Whenever anything more was being asked of a front-end script the immediate hue and cry from the crowd was, "What about users who have Javascript turned off?!?" This may be a valid argument... or not. There was little-to-no metrics support of our sites at the time, especially in regard to javascript/ECMAscript acceptance. This eliminated all options for AJAX, et cetera.
Ironically, this would also have eliminated the "brilliant" "vision" of some who proposed much more "robust" javascript usage (basically, using MooTools) which was to "revolutionize" the interfaces of ePrize promotions. These were to be the "sizzle on the steak," as our PR person would say ad nauseum. So, which is it? Javascript or not?
Going through the promotions that are currently live, I see little-to-no sizzle and a lot of gristle. For example; pulling up the first promotion I caught on ePrize.com (your favicon has gone missing), Scott® Common Sense Community Spook-tacular Halloween Sweepstakes, I would certainly think that the jack o' lantern so prominently displayed on screen would have a little candle glow associated with it. Animated gif, simple swf animation, something to make it shine (pun intended) just a little. If the argument comes back, "There's not enough time to do that," then welcome to my world circa every day during my tenure at ePrize. Those kind of things are "nice to haves" and not the kind of snazzy stuff that the sweatshop mentality/workload allows.
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11 comments:
Glad that you're back. Not sure where you went or why but your voice is refreshing.
Anyway, a good "sizzle on the steak" can be seen on the ConAgra/Shrek promotion -- the little flag animation. Why this had to be done in Flash, though, I don't know. Seems a little heavy.
Doesn't really matter, though, as I hear ePrize lost ConAgra as a client. Can anyone confirm?
BTW, you'd think that in the 452 lines of javascript on that Scott's page... that there has to be more of an acceptance of JS (though not external .js files) going on at ePrize.
How long ago was it that you were fired Mike? Three years? The fact that you are still obsessed with ePrize is telling. The company is growing, making big technology advances, brought in better management, and is doing great. The company is moving on. Why aren't you? Nothing better to do?
Anyway, I thought you had given up on this blog. I don't see what's wrong with it when so many posts are suggestions for further improvements of your precious company. Friend's advice is liquid gold.
Didn't we go through this already, Aleshia? I really don't think that "Louis Friend" and "Mike White" are one and the same. But, I could be wrong, it's happened before. And, for the record, it's coming up on two years. I'll never forget that it was just a couple days after Xmas, almost as good as when they let go of the Maestro the week before Xmas back in Farmington Hills. ePrize and Christmas... something magical in the air.
Who was "the Maestro?"
Louis - Keep speaking the truth. I've never heard of a company with so much "culture" that they actually destroy individuality.
If you are a current ePrizer and want to go far with the company, here is a few words of advice.
1.) If you have a personality, get rid of it fast, the only personality you should have is that of a stock art "Business Person" photograph.
2.) Do as your told. Never question whether a solution from above is a total bad idea, just do it and shut up.
3.) Kiss ass at least once a day. They eat that shit up. Make sure to kiss ass to ALL relevant parties, else you risk alienating a key decision maker.
4.) Be sure to enjoy your soulless shell of existence.
The Maestro = Efrem R. Jasso
I worked with the shrek promotion. The flash was provided by the client's creative agency, as was the rest of the creative for the site.
No ePrize did not lose ConAgra.
Conagra still a client? That's good to know. How's the churn rate going on over there? That is, the voluntary leavings, not the firings.
ConAgra is back as a client but did in fact fire ePrize back in 2006. Apparently, we "sucked less" (per leadership) than the competition who was Softcoin.
That should be the new corporate catch phrase:
ePrize... we suck less
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