Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 6th Jul 2007 10:56 UTC, submitted by michuk
The article 'Understanding the Common User' points that "everything should be as simple as it is... Or even simpler" and warns that converting a common user to Linux without giving him enough protection leads to a imminent failure. A rebuttal, 'Get Real or How Not To Convert Your Grandma to Linux' stresses that dumbing down is not the key to success, understanding is.
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Member since:2007-04-18
And this assumption is crap. Sorry but we're talking about one of the most complex machines out there. So as easy as driving a car? You have to learn it first.
Sorry, but I've been hearing this analogy way too often of late, and *it's* crap. When was the last time you manually adjusted your carburetor? Manually set the choke? Retarded the spark timing? Heck, how many people these days use a clutch with a manual transmission?
Cars are in fact a great example of the continuing trend in simplifying and automating complex systems. If you tried to insist that these settings should be left exposed for the average driver, because they give the driver more 'control', the best response you could probably expect is someone laughing in your face.
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Member since:
2006-07-15
>Advocating Linux
First it's just evangelism, later it's maybe SPAM. First rule, don't lie. If you wan't to avoid frustrated users, don't hype. Push it instead with facts not fiction ...
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>everything should be as simple as it is
And this assumption is crap. Sorry but we're talking about one of the most complex machines out there. So as easy as driving a car? You have to learn it first. As easy to read a book? You have to learn it first. And so one, you cannot use a thing without learning first. And there are a lot of things out there which are less complex but aren't easy to understand. It's the laziness, common nowadays and this hype who promises a false easiness.