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@ekaitz_zarraga @red@jorts.horse @alxd @vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de
Some context might help :)
As someone who designs and builds computers, I’ve taken it for granted that the computers I design should follow suit in attempting to be “user friendly” (if not “intuitive“); however I’m questioning the wisdom of this practice in light of where others goal have produced.
If I’m designing something new, it might actually be *better* if not designed to be “easy”?
@jjg @ekaitz_zarraga @red @vfrmedia
It depends who is it for. If it's a machine you use after a training, like a CNC mill or a car service system, it's okay.
If you expect regular people to use it - and therefore learn, it's bad.
I feel we're going in the whole direction of "men are not aware of their privilege" and the "mental fatigue":
https://www.workingmother.com/this-comic-perfectly-explains-mental-load-working-mothers-bear
@alxd @ekaitz_zarraga @red@jorts.horse @vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de
That positioning seems strange to me. I’m not forcing anyone to use anything I design, and I’m not doing anything to eliminate their ability to choose something else, so I’m not sure how all of this applies?
@jjg @ekaitz_zarraga @red @vfrmedia so as I said, that depends on what you design.
If you make a specialized system, complicated is okay.
Just don't say that "users have a responsibility to learn" if the users can be grandparents, policemen or schoolteachers.
@alxd @ekaitz_zarraga @red@jorts.horse @vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de
I actually have a problem with the “regular user” divide. I think that it creates an artificial boundary that prevents people from getting the most out of their computers by convincing them that programming is something that only professionals can do.
This false dichotomy enables some of the worst aspects of software “industry”, IMHO.
@jjg @alxd @ekaitz_zarraga @red @vfrmedia I blame Windows for mudding the waters, and making an UI which tries to make you believe you don't have to learn, you don't have to understand, it "just works". This turned into a confusing, hard-to-understand and hard-to-learn mess.
The effort is good to some extent, but the documentation and system-level transparency that's prevalent in FOSS is absolutely missing in Windows, which, sadly, became the widespread desktop OS.
windows nonsense
@jjg @ekaitz_zarraga @red @alxd @vfrmedia There is certainly a place for computers like the raspberry pi, which are optimized for "what crazy things can I do with my computer?" rather than "how can I use the computer effectively for something besides 'figure out how the fuck to make this obtuse computer work'"