Worth the read. Good reinforcement on what's important when building a Web site.

"Usability and the utility, not the visual design, determine the success or failure of a web-site."

That depends what the site is for.

Have you got an example where design alone has created success?

No, but I have an example where usability and utility failed to create success due to aesthetics. I will have a blog post about it in the next couple of days.

This was great - I submitted it as a story. Hope you don't mind!

I don't mind at all. Glad you enjoyed it.

Is that password verification which obliges the user to retype or cut and paste really desirable?