[LAU] Jack max ports question

[Ralf Mardorf]

On Sun, 2 Aug 2015 09:23:14 +0000, Fons Adriaensen wrote:
>On Sat, Aug 01, 2015 at 08:48:20PM -0400, Paul Davis wrote:
>
>> And even when they click it, they find that JACK is running on their
>> builtin hardware when they wanted it to use some USB device they
>> have. Then they can't figure out how to change it.
>
>With a GUI in front of them inviting them to change it.
>
>> the number of people who do not even realize that you need to tell
>> JACK which device to use is quite startling.
>
>With two or more sound cards, someone or something has to make
>a choice. That's not really rocket science.
>
>> You're way, way, way too much of an expert with computers Fons. There
>> are lots and lots of musicians for whom things you consider utterly
>> obvious and child-like are really quite difficult concepts.
>
>I don't think this is about computers.
>
>If someone really can't work out such simple things then he/she will
>be unable to do any job except maybe emptying trash cans, will fail
>the driving license examination, will happily pay $50 for three items
>that each cost $10, and will in general be unable to function in live
>as we know it. Let alone being creative. I don't believe most people
>are like that, and if sometimes they behave that way, it is by choice.
>
>And if this choice is as widespread as claimed, then what we have is
>a new class society. This time not the classical one of a the poor
>masses being exploited by a rich elite and a political system that
>maintains this order, but of the dumb masses simply *expecting* a
>more intelligent elite to take all, even the simplest decisions for
>them. It amounts to a voluntary rejection of part of what makes anyone
>a human being, and a lack of self-respect. All this in what remains
>despite the economic crisis an affluent part of the world, and where
>access to education, knowledge and information has never been easier.
>Like it ? I don't. And I'm not going to contribute anything that makes
>it worse.
>
>> they have no idea what's inside.
>
>(without looking) 2 apples, a box of peaches (at least 5 remaining),
>2 sorts of fruit juice, 3 tomatos, 1 cucumber, 1 onion, gorgonzola
>and feta cheese, parma ham, salad dressing, 3 packages of greek
>yogurt, 2 packages of vanilla flavoured soya dessert, bread.
>
>(so you may conclude that even when living among large quantities
>of Wurst my diet remains more or less mediterranean).
>
>Ciao,
>

This discussion is unrelated to the GUI provided by QjackCtl.

IMO we have to less discussions about GUI design, for me those
discussions aren't trolling or bikeshedding. To improve software GUI
design is very important.

There is software for those who don't want to spend more than 59
seconds to learn and there's software for those who are willing to
spend more than a minute to learn.

We are used to QjackCtl providing all jackd settings in one window.
QjackCtl could become more user-friendly for those who don't want to
spend more than 59 seconds for the learning curve and at the same time
still provide what we are used to, by not splitting the window in two
tabs, but instead by providing an option to collapse and expand some
options. This is a well-tried GUI design.

I wonder what people want to do with QjackCtl, when they don't have 60
seconds for a request in a support chat?

The learning curve to use a virtual synth, effects or a DAW takes much
more time. The learning curve to learn audio engineering or playing an
instrument or even to become a radio announcer takes much more time.

Regards,
Ralf


PS regarding the off-topic discussion:

Humans have different strategies, if a women asks her man to get the
cucumber out of the refrigerator, it's said that it often happens that
the man doesn't see it. That you are aware what's inside your
refrigerator is completely unrelated to the issue.

I agree that there is a loss of interested in learning by a part of the
folks, but I disagree that it's easy to join schooling or to pay for
autodidactic learning. In Germany not everybody is allowed to visit a
school, even with the needed qualification, there's a lot of despotism,
let alone problems for highly gifted people who missed to get the needed
qualifications for what reason ever, when they were young. However,
assumed you're allowed to visit a school, you still need to have the
money to pay for the education, it's a myth that in Germany education
is for free. Studies show that in Germany affluent people have better
qualifications as the poor, while having the same IQ. Good scholarly
literature and needed equipment often is very expensive and seldom
available by a Wiki, public libraries etc.. Middle class shrinks even
in the richest nations. What is the situation for poor nations, when
it's already hard in rich nations?

OTOH if learning is to inexpensive, than people tend to become shallow.
If you e.g. need to pay for 35mm film and a photo lab, you are forced to
learn how to use the gear and learn basics about the art you want to
make. If you can take thousands of photos without expense and manipulate
them for free, then at some point even learning by doing doesn't work
anymore, because people tend never to learn the basics.