I get lots of e-mail from blog readers that say they learn a lot from the videos here. Well, this week we want to learn from you.

The Usability team at The MathWorks studies how people actually use MATLAB, we have a fancy room with a one-way mirror and recording equipment and everything. This gives us a chance to see where users get stuck in using MATLAB, allows us to test new features and documentation. I have been in countless usability studies over the years, and I love it because it lets me give feedback that ultimately makes MATLAB more like I want it to be.

Since not everyone can come to Boston to participate, I thought we could do the same thing over the web. If you can take a few minutes to install a screen capture software (I recommend Jing, since it is free and will upload the video easily) and attempt a short problem, that would be great.

Jing only records five minutes of video, so we have chosen a problem that can be solved in that amount of time. Think about the problem as much as you want, but record your entire screen from the moment you start using MATLAB.

Here is the problem:

What is the sum of all the natural numbers up to and including 1,000 that are multiples of 3 or 5?

The prizes:

Get a video to us by Monday October 13th 9:00am EST and you get a MATLAB t-shirt. Solving the problem is not required: we are studying the process of using the software, not the outcome. That being said, Will and I will choose special prizes for some video makers. Please “think out loud”, tell us what you like, and don’t like.

NOTE: The contest is now closed and a recap was posted. [click here]