*BSD News Article 93290


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From: phtlb@zeus.bris.ac.uk (Tim)
Subject: Re: Linux or FreeBSD (or something else?)
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Date: Thu, 10 Apr 1997 17:13:31 GMT
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David Fox (fox@cat.nyu.edu) wrote:
: Complaining about ignorant users is the lamest sort of denial of the
: failure of software designers to produce usable systems.  There is no
: important task for a user of word processing software to do except to
: process words.  For it to require anything else of them is a failure
: of the program's designer.
: -- 
: David Fox            http://www.cat.nyu.edu/fox            xoF divaD
: NYU Media Research Lab     fox@cat.nyu.edu    baL hcraeseR aideM UYN


You make a good point. People want things to do particular jobs without
the need for any extra complications. However this would imply that what
people want are just word prcessing (or graphics or whatever) machines
that do nothing else. Just switch them on and you got your package. Fine.

But what people also like is to be able to use whole bunch of stuff.
Otherwise thay may as well get one of the more modern electronic
type-writers.

So you add some flexibilty, some new software : spread sheets, graphics
tools, music utilities etc (an endless list).
Then maybe you package them all up in one big integrated package. So what
have you got now? Now the user has do decide what package to run, and maybe choose some
options.

How about letting the user add some new stuff. Like upgrades and games and
stuff. More flexibility more power, but more choices to be made.

There is a trade off to be made, more flexibilty more complexity.
You can argue that a well desinged program retains flexibility, but there
is always a limit. Self installing stuff is great most of the time. But
what happens when I want to do something out of the ordinary. Well I'm no
super hacker so we can forget trying to sort out an install program
running under windows, just gotta hope that it lets me do what I want.

So to make a system that everyone can use (good move undoubtably) you
remove as much complicated flexibility as possible. Now everyone can use
your system, and anyone who wants to be compatible has to use your
software, and anyone who wants to write widely selling software has to
make it simple. Problem is that everyone gets dragged down to the same
level.

If people want to use complicated machines they should at least make an
attempt to undertsand what is going on. They should be able to install
software etc. Then everyone can have a little more flexibility.

Fortunately we have unix around, so those who want the flexibility can
have it :)

Only then I get someone asking me

"Hey Tim can I use your computer for a short while I need to type
something"

"OK, but it won't do Word and you'll have to remeber not to even think
about turning it off yourself, let me do that"

"no Word. Oh, and it's got no graphics"

"It does have graphics but you don't need them. You can jusr type your
stuff in one of these editors then save it as an ascii file, that's just
plain text. When you're finished I'll save it to floppy for you then you
can load it into word. You can do all the formatting and italics and stuff
in word if you want. That would be easiest."

"sounds a bit complicated to me, I think I'll wait till monday and use the
university computers. They have Word"
 
-- 
Tim. 

PS. Sorry about the overly long post. But I am bored. Also this is not
really a reply just to Davids post I just had to add my 2pennys worth.