A few years ago, I was drafting a post for work when I accidentally pressed some magical combination of keys causing the post to be immediately published. My full draft exposed for all to see, including funny lines about “Anne, finish this sentence” in bright red. Before I knew it, notifications and emails were sent and I was left cursing my screen. I’ve never forgotten it.
Over the last year, I’ve talked with a wide range of folks about Phase 3 in WordPress: Collaboration. While I summarized some takeaways from a good chunk of those more structured conversations, I’ve been noodling on a specific aspect of this work. For many I spoke to, WordPress is the final destination. Their content is ready to go by the time they get to the add new post flow and it’s about filling in the details. Many collaborate in spaces like Google Docs, far away from a publish button that, when pressed, could notify loads of folks, be picked up in a news cycle, and be live for all to see with your specific branding.
The psychology of sitting in the Add New flow is intense and loaded as a result. It feels as if you’re just one step away from something being live because, well, you nearly are. Add in collaboration functionality to WordPress so folks can work together to go from a draft to a live post and the inherent powerful nature of the Add New flow clearly comes into focus. This is why real time collaboration on its own isn’t enough and workflows are being considered alongside collaboration and are critical to get right.
In many ways, this reminds me of some of the stories I’ve heard around the invention of elevators for humans to use. At first, folks didn’t trust them:
While the proprietors of the Haughwout store had Elisha Otis’s first passenger elevator of 1857 removed three years after its installation because the public refused to accept it, the two elevators built by Tufts remained in service into the 1870s and for a while transformed the hotels into overrun tourist attractions.
Pop matters article on “A Cultural History of the Elevator”
Elevator operators helped on the safety front, acting as a guide for folks, as did eventual elevator music to ease anxiety:
The core issue of mistrust in automated elevators was rooted in concerns about safety. Operators provided a sense of reliability, earning the trust of passengers by reassuring them that elevator cars were safe often through their demeanor. The elevator operator—many of whom were women was responsible for taking floor requests from passengers, controlling the speed and direction of the elevator car, announcing what was located on each floor while en route, and manually opening and closing the doors.
How A Historic Strike Paved the Way for the Automated Elevator and What Those Lessons Could Mean for Self-Driving Cars
Even as technology advanced and there wasn’t a need for elevator operators, folks had to move slowly to add features, like an emergency stop button and a phone to call for help, before campaigning about the safety of elevators:
By the 1960s, the technology for automatic elevators had existed for over 50 years. But the problem was that the public didn’t trust the automation and, as a result, building owners wouldn’t buy them, which prompted a public campaign to convince people that elevators without elevator operators were safe. Advertisements were aired that featured small children and older adults in the elevator, and automatic elevators were equipped with a voice that instructed the passenger to select their floor by pushing the corresponding button.
The Untold History of Elevators
Ride sharing comes up as a modern day equivalent. I remember the first time I used a ride share in San Francisco back in 2013, I was incredibly skeptical and a bit scared. Lyft embraced their pink design and “for women” mindset. Over time, more safety features have been added including being able to share your ride with others who can watch you as you ride.
As collaboration features are thought of for WordPress, I wonder what “safety” features might be needed and am excited by how deeply psychological this problem is. How do we change the Add New flow to be a space for the inherent messiness of collaboration and creativity, especially when the psychology of a website has shifted to be more “serious” and “permanent” compared to the fleeting nature of some social media apps?
In some cases, it might be more about removing than adding, like having the option to remove the publish button until comments are resolved. In many organizations, access to manage the site is heavily controlled intentionally too so, while friction might need to be added with publishing, friction will need to be greatly decreased to get more folks with less access the ability to collaborate too. Imagine a share link where anyone with the link can leave comments as a guest similar to what you see in Google docs! Right now, these pieces are available across different tools and the trick will be to find a way to do it right for WordPress, keeping in mind the role WordPress plays. What will act as our elevator music and emergency phone?
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