Pot shots from Spiked

In 2002, Martyn Perks of Spiked was describing himself as a 'designer' and laying into usability as a force for conservatism (but he seemingly did not understand the difference between market research and usability). Now he's describing himself as a 'user experience consultant' and laying into ethnography. His 'reasoning' seems much the same. Who knows, maybe by next year he'll be describing himself as an 'ethnographer' and critiquing business process re-engineering. But that would be a little too sensible, methinks.

I discern some common patterns here. Perks appears loath to speak to users of technology in any shape or form, though he seems a little mixed up about whether people who do so are merely patronising or aiming to "control us". He continues to believe that a range of disciplines including usability and ethnography are merely different terms for market research. And his lines of 'reasoning' continue to perplex: what on earth has Blair's Big Conversation (one of his examples) got to do with ethnography? (the article is entitled 'Ethnography' exposed)