[linux-audio-dev] Knobs / widget design + some OT stuff

[Pete Bessman]

At Sun, 27 Jun 2004 23:03:15 -0400,
Pete Bessman wrote:
> 
> That's a straw man.  The original point was something to the effect
> of "a volume knob which can only be operated after studying a manual
> is an indication that the UI designer is a failure," although my
> rendition is probably more caustic than the original.

So it seems it wasn't clear that the above was a humorous jab, not
meant to be taken seriously.  My bad.  My sense of humor must be
"special."

This *was* a debate about the performance requirements of Thorsten's
fan sliders.  I personally think that machines which can't deal with
the sliders would be better off running trackers; high-end audio
already comes with a high-end performance tag (relatively speaking),
and if you can afford a 1Ghz/512MB system, you can afford a GPU.
Really, you can:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=40160&item=5103986172&rd=1

The argument got "ugly" when Fons took a point of Thorsten's out of
context (if you define "ugly" as the point at which I got pissed and
started flinging argumentum ad hominem).  "Requiring the user to read
documentation to learn about functionality he would not even expect is
not an option," is clearly wrong on a general level.  Therefore, Fons
is technically right; the only way such a requirement could exist is
if the human desire for knowledge has dropped to a pathologically low
level, either from lack of education (*snort*) or other causes.

However, the point is clearly right as it applies to the fan sliders.
A user with an IQ >= 100 shouldn't need to consult a manual to spin a
knob or flip a switch, and if you think otherwise you should bar
yourself from participating in UI discussions.

Skewering a point on a literal and pedantic level is a sure-fire way
to get labeled an elitist.  Moral of the story: make a snide and
barely on topic remark, get a face full of flame.

--
Pete

www.gazuga.net