Linked by Kroc Camen on Sun 8th Nov 2009 10:21 UTC
Is complexity (and wearing this on the outside) an inherit part of open source design? FactoryJoe compares the OpenOfficeMouse (a mouse with 18 programmable buttons and even an analogue joystick) and the Apple Magic Mouse-"To me, the OpenOfficeMouse seems like such a typical product from the open source community." [Kroc: I honestly believed the OpenOfficeMouse to be a very clever satirical joke, the irony that it isn't suspends belief]
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Using needlessly complex software makes you a genius
by nt_jerkface on Mon 9th Nov 2009 00:10
in reply to "RE: Too many stupid people"
Member since:2009-08-26
People that solve problems without hastle just can't handle the elite power of open source.
If you think 18 buttons is too many then you're probably retarded. I think every mouse should have 223 buttons but I could handle 1000.
Oh and Linux is passe, switching to OS 7 is the new way to look smart even if you are just dicking around.
http://www.jfplayhouse.com/2009/11/5-reasons-why-os-7-is-better-tha...
RE[2]: Too many stupid people
by lemur2 on Mon 9th Nov 2009 04:11
in reply to "RE: Too many stupid people"
Member since:2007-02-17
"And as far as open source stuff being complex, that's a matter of opinion -- or intelligence I suppose. Open source provides options for advanced users, so what? Stupid users have options too, they're called windows and macos. If you don't like complexity, stick to those and leave the advanced stuff to people that can use it/want it, no need to deride them!
I believe in complexity, but only to a point where it is absolutely necessary. For example, if there's 2 ways to get something done, and one is more complex than the other, assuming everything else is equal, I'll take the less complex route every time. I don't believe in complexity just for the sake of complexity, or the 'my dick is bigger than yours because I can do things the hard way' mentality. Sometimes I take a look at open source stuff, and I get the feeling that things are harder than they need to be, 'just because'. I think the very BEST way to do complexity is give the user as much control as possible (the open source way), but also have a default option that works out of the box, every time (the Aplle way). " The default configuration of open source software works out of the box, every time, for almost all hardware.
LiveCDs demonstrate that this is so.
I have booted a Kubuntu 9.10 liveCD on many an x86 system of different configurations, and the LiveCD has detected it all automatically and booted with all parts of the system working in each case.
In the rare case where a system doesn't work with open source software (which I haven't encountered yet myself), a LiveCD will also show this nicely, before any commitment to changes to a systems hard drive are done.
Edited 2009-11-09 04:12 UTC
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Member since:
2005-11-13
I believe in complexity, but only to a point where it is absolutely necessary. For example, if there's 2 ways to get something done, and one is more complex than the other, assuming everything else is equal, I'll take the less complex route every time. I don't believe in complexity just for the sake of complexity, or the 'my dick is bigger than yours because I can do things the hard way' mentality. Sometimes I take a look at open source stuff, and I get the feeling that things are harder than they need to be, 'just because'.
I think the very BEST way to do complexity is give the user as much control as possible (the open source way), but also have a default option that works out of the box, every time (the Aplle way). So then, it's like "This isn't exactly what I want, but this default configuration will do for now, until I can figure out how to change it" instead of "this piece of sh*t doesn't work at all".
As for the mouse, I love the idea of programmable buttons. Plug one of these babies in and map some of those buttons to AutoIt scripts, or whatever. However, I think 18 is just overkill. Maybe 7-8 max.
Edited 2009-11-08 20:27 UTC