[LAD] Experience driven design and Linux Audio

[Len Ovens]

On Wed, 1 Oct 2014, Louigi Verona wrote:

> Also, I would like to say this - bottom line is that most apps on Linux are not known
> for ease of use. And that has a systematic cause, no doubt about it. In my view the
> cause is that this is mostly software done for oneself rather than for the audience.
> Additionally, GUI takes a lot of time to develop and Linux hobbyists are generally
> developers, not designers. That's it, really.

Yes, To add to the point, Just as the author of the talk is developing a 
phone, so is ubuntu. I was following the progress for a bit and what 
stands out to me is that almost all of the people who showed up and wanted 
to add code were interested in porting the the sw to another device (the 
one that person has) rather than improving the look, feel, experience or 
even the functionallity. It seems a part of it is that developing for 
other people can be pretty thankless. One hears about the problems and 
dislikes, but even when these grumbles have been addressed or fixed, there 
is rarely any thanks. This is even more noticable for those users who have 
switched over from proprietary sw who's attitude is more along the lines 
of "why haven't you fixed this yet?" to much more abusive language than 
that.

On a community developed project, how the developers "feel" about their 
work is much more important when they are paid for the same work (even the 
same people).

Just dabbling in development has made me much more understanding and 
appreciative of the work that others do. I am much more willing to "make 
do", much more willing to hear "no I am not going to add that". Much more 
willing to use two (or more) tools to do the same job that might be done 
with one if designed so.

The whole idea of "we can make something beautiful with a wonderful 
experience and so users will use it and be free" doesn't ring true. An 
open source project can put a product out like that yes, but as soon as they do 
it will be copied and even before that, it will not be chosen because it 
is "free of malwere", but rather because it goes with my feeling this week 
and next week it is back to some closed device because my friend has one. 
In the end, "open" devices would have to be made by people just as 
"cut-throat" as a closed shop. so what is really gained?


--
Len Ovens
www.ovenwerks.net