[linux-audio-user] Opening up the discussion

[Erik Steffl]

Randy Kramer wrote:
> 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").

   it's not possible, not in computers, not in other domains. How long 
does it take to learn to walk? To talk? To play piano? Can you give me a 
better editor than vi?

   newbie-friendliness is not the same as user-friendliness and if I use 
something day to day I probably have different preferences than somebody 
who just started to use it - and that's same for computers and anything 
else.

> 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.)

   yeah, sit a newbie in front of vi:-) Yet there's a LOT of people who 
wouldn't use other editor...

   repeat: user friendliness and newbie friendliness are not the same.

	erik