Mena Trott wrote me to correct a fact on MovableType's usability testing in my previous post. She writes "Though we did conduct usability testing with a professional firm, we didn't *pay* for the testing. They did it because one of the leads was a friend of ours and because they (1) wanted to give us a jumping off point to make the software better because they used the software themselves (2) wanted to help us in a good natured sort of way :)"
Thanks for setting the record straight Mena and kudos to your friend. There is hope for getting the usability community involved. I wish there where more interactions like yours occuring.
