[linux-audio-user] Opening up the discussion

[Randy Kramer]

On Monday 25 July 2005 05:04 am, james at dis-dot-dat.net wrote:
> On Mon, 25 Jul, 2005 at 10:46AM +0200, Mario Lang spake thus:
> > That is the point, I absolutely dont feel reading up on something
> > is necessarily a bad thing.  My hair stand up if I watch
> > a typical no-clue windows user more or less randomly hitting
> > buttons in the interface until "something" works.  

> > I do feel this 
> > "it has to work out of the box without me having to know anything about
> > it" attitude is childish.
>
> Seconded.

I'd like to respectfully disagree, or at least put forth a different opinion.  

I believe that, eventually, the level of computer and domain knowledge (for 
various domains) and the simplicity of computer human interfaces should 
converge such that a typical person with "non-computer" knowledge of a 
specific domain, will be able to operate many computer programs without 
reading a manual.  In fact, I'd even suggest that as a goal or a criteria to 
rate the human interface of programs.  (Thus, in this case, a musician with 
general computer knowledge and non-computer musical knowledge (or knowledge 
of "tape recording").

Or, in a slightly different example, if a computer user understands how to use 
one (mainstream) word processor, he should be able to quickly understand and 
use at least the main features of other mainstream word processors (if there 
are more than one).  (And further, a goal or criteria of a word processor 
human interface would include how many of the more subtle features of a 
different word processor a newbie user can pick up without the manual.)

Are we there yet?  Of course not.

Can we get there?  I have to believe we can (or don't the Star Trek series  
serve as good predictors of the future? ;-)

Randy Kramer