Lance Armstrong News

By now, everyone has heard of the Lance Armstrong scandal. But it was once again another news story that was headlined for several days and people are left wondering what the current status of the situation is. News is always coming and going, but in this case it is ongoing. How do you feel about Lance Armstrong's drug usage? One thing is sure for Armstrong, the lawsuits aren't going away soon.

Yes or No - Lance Armstrong confesses to Oprah

As an aspiring reporter, I have always been taught to never ask yes or no questions.  The reason being is because that isn't much of an interview because you don't get details that can be very vital for an explanation.  This interview however was very powerful through the series of yes or no questions.  Armstrong had been telling an elaborate lie for so long and for him to come out and just say yes to all of Oprah's pressing questions was impressive.

Lance Armstrong's Most Humbling Moment

I chose this video because I think it shows remorse for perhaps the first time since this entire scandal came out.  I think it is important for viewers and sponsors alike to see that he is feeling not only sorry for what he did but owning up to and facing the very real consequences from such an elaborate lie.

Review of 'Don't Make Me Think' by Steve Krug

At first when I looked through “Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug, I thought to myself, what a waste of money to order this book. In spite of my preconceived notions, the book has actually proved to be not only helpful, but eye-opening. It was ignorant of me to think that usability is not important. The whole world is shifting to an online universe and without a usable internet, then a lot of people are left frustrated and possibly not able to get their work done. This book has made me realize that the web is not just an aspect of business, but it should be the number one priority. Without a successful website, some businesses will not prosper. The book did a good job highlighting most people’s downfalls on the way they think about the web. In chapter 2 (How We Really Use the Web), one example was ‘what we design the web for’ and ‘the reality’ of how it is used. We design the web for people to read and read and read and stay on our page for a while. The reality is that people are usually in a hurry, don’t have time, or don’t want time to read the overwhelming amount of information. If websites are not designed correctly, it’s not a loss to the user-it is a loss to the business. The user will hit the back button and find something else that works for them because most people do not read pages, they scan them. Perhaps the most interesting chapter in the book was the one on “Omitting Needless Words.” As a telecom broadcast student and an aspiring journalist, I have realized that I not only like to ask a lot of questions, but I also like to elaborate, and talk a lot. Sometimes, less really is more and this book highlights on that. If the rule in the book says “get rid of half of the words on the page, and then go back and get rid of half of what is left.” If that be the case, I sometimes say or write entirely too much. Maybe it is information that is not needed, or maybe information that I am biased towards that I want to share with everyone else. I liked the part where it said “happy talk must die.” I think often times we like “feel good” stories, or too many quotes per one story. When “happy talk” dies, users get the most important, raw data that they are looking for, without it being diluted with someone else’s opinion. The billboard technique really is golden. The last thing that stood out to me was the concept that usability is a common courtesy. I never really thought about it that way before. I thought of it terms of a good design or a bad design. The tips given in the book were rather helpful, especially when it said that the FAQ’s should be real, helpful questions and not just a sales pitch. As a user, I get very annoyed when my questions cannot be answered so I then leave the site. Krug’s book had a lot of truth to it.

The Naked Truth

In Armstrong's interview with Oprah where he admitted to doping, he told Oprah that he had a 'flawed character.' Not only did he just surrender and say I did it once, but in a two-part interview with her he admitted to doping TWELVE times. As if that wasn't shocking enough to sports fans nation-wide, he admitted to being the ring leader of an extensive doping scheme on a US Postal Service team that enabled him to victory multiple times at Tour De France. As a previous fan and admirer of Armstrong, I once admired him for his perseverance and courage. While it is disheartening to learn of his dishonest wins, his brutal honestly in the Oprah interview was impressive. When asked if it felt wrong he said "no" which is "scary." When asked if he felt bad about it he said, "no, even scarier." When asked if it felt like he was cheating in any way he said, "no," which was the "scariest." Armstrong said he looked up the definition to "cheater" and he found that it said, "to gain an advantage on a rival or a foe." He said he didn't see it that way but more so as a "level playing field." As a sports fan I appreciate his honesty in the interview rather it was forced or if it was out of sincerity, but I also have to realize the overwhelming pressure that athletes face to win and be winners. Sometimes people break under that pressure and as a consequence compromise their character.

Admitting, Accepting.

Many times when information hits the fan, such as negative information coming out about a person, human instinct is to deny it. We live in a selfish, lying society that always preaches to take care of yourself, and cover your own bases. Although Lance Armstrong was pretty much caught for what he did, unlike a lot of athletes, Armstrong finally owned up to what he did. I am sure his false wins were humiliating enough, but Lance owned up to his downfalls on national television. Regardless of who you are, I feel like there has to be a little respect for the open honesty he shared.