14 DAY TRIAL // If you have an hour to spare and a machine running Windows, Google has a proposition for you. The company is conducting a usability study for Blogger and, even though Google is keeping mum on what exactly the study is about, it’s prepared to make up for the ‘inconvenience’ with $75 in American Express gift checks.
“We're working hard to make Blogger better and need your help. Sign up for a usability study and give us feedback on some exciting new ideas currently in development. These study results will help us better understand your needs and refine our features before they launch,” the entire announcement on the Blogger Buzz blog reads.
The page for signing up to the study is equally uninformative with respect to what Google has in mind for Blogger. It does, however, clarify the conditions and requirements to qualify for the study. Any participant must be over 18, but everyone in the world can apply.
A decent, broadband Internet connection is a must, as well as the possibility to stay on the phone with a Google representative for the duration of the study, namely 60 minutes. Willing participants must also be comfortable with the idea of Google recording both the conversation and everything that happens on-screen during the test.
Finally, another interesting requirement is that the user have any relatively modern Windows version, 2000, XP, Vista or 7. Of course, those selected to participate will have to accept the Usability Non-Disclosure Agreement, which means that they won’t be able to talk about what they see in the test.
Google has always done extensive testing of all the products it’s working on, so a study like this wouldn’t normally be much of a surprise. However, changes and updates are usually tested with random users before releasing them into the wild. New products that Google wants to keep a secret are tested internally. So a public study like this, coupled with the requirement to have a Windows machine, despite Blogger being very much a web-based service and app, may indicate that Google has something very interesting cooking, maybe a desktop client of some kind.