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Not to take away from what is being done in this project, but I had to read the HN comments to figure out that this was a set of software for printers. The pro

Not to take away from what is being done in this project, but I had to read the HN comments to figure out that this was a set of software for printers. The project could really use some better copy on the landing page.

falsedan 9y ago
The landing page is as well-written and informative as 80% of the product announcement posted here, and I agree with you.
- arkades 9y ago
  80% of the product announcements posted here are greeted with “the landing page needs better copy, I couldn’t figure out what it’s supposed to do.” So, while I agree with you, it really doesn’t undermine OP at all. Especially as it’s common to see people get value from that response; we see creators quite often personally respond with “oh, crap, I didn’t realize, let me work on that.”
  - falsedan 9y ago
    What is OP (the article?), and what is undermine?
    - gknoy 9y ago
      I've always taken "OP" to mean "Original Poster" or "Original Parent" -- similar "GP" is often used to mean "Grandparent Poster", as in the post whose reply we are replying to. :)
Kamshak 9y ago
idk if this was updated but i figured this out from the landing page in ~10secs. It's in sentence 3-4 on the page. If you're not reading the copy but instead comments only why complain about the landing page
- nathankunicki 9y ago
  I've read the copy on the site, the comments here, then went through to the code repository, and still don't really know what this project is or what its meant to do.
- ChristianBundy 9y ago
  You mean this? > It is constructed using free/libre/open hard- and software components, especially for print, databases, web-scraping and tangible interaction. > Currently, it exists as a working prototype with software "bureaus" which allow a user to read and navigate news, web sites and social media entirely with the use of various printers for output and a barcode scanner for input. That's really not clear. Also, your "if you're not reading the copy but instead comments" thing was both snarky and incorrect. Both are fine, but it's not recommended to be both disagreeable and wrong at the same time.
  - fps 9y ago
    What part of "read and navigate news" and "printers for output and barcode scanners for input" isn't absolutely crystal clear? It fully and clearly explains what the system can do and how you interact with it. Do you not know what printers are? Barcode scanners? News?
    - alanbernstein 9y ago
      Yeah, come on guys, this is obviously a renaissance of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CueCat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CueCat
    - scott_s 9y ago
      Because it explains the mechanics but not the intent. Once you intuit the intent by reading more, you can go back and read the mechanics and get it. But in general, it's hard for readers who have no context to pull intent from mechanics. It also helps to acknowledge up front what's different, rather than first presenting the abstraction for that difference ("bureaus"). Something like: The intent of our project is to remove screens from modern computers. We explore presenting information only through physical printouts, and input only through barcode scanners.
gt_ 9y ago
I am interested in everyone’s initial (and resulting) imagined depictions of what this is/looks like. I’m not sure how you can share this with me. Maybe they don’t even vary much. My own depiction figures a slew of packing-taped barcodes on the tables and walls serve as references (links, shortcuts, scripts). So, the worst part is probably that organization abstractions are only accessible through the printer... a very slow command line... could be worse. But, I haven’t a clue how any of this stuff is developed without screens.
- crispyambulance 9y ago
  I keep trying to imagine what they're describing and every single possibility seems AWFUL and INFLEXIBLE. The landing page isn't helping their cause. The "slow food" concept works great for food, but sorry, it just doesn't translate to "slow computing." Looking a bit closer, this seems to be a design challenge/experiment. Not intended to be practical, but more like a provocative exercise in new possibilities. I actually like it. It is good to try-on half baked ideas sometimes.
  - timthorn 9y ago
    > it just doesn't translate to "slow computing." I think it does. If you can remember the Macintosh before the days of the MultiFinder, you ran one application at a time. The interface was simple, and you had to focus on the task at hand. Distractions were limited to any Desk Accessories you might have. Ok, you did have a screen, but I think it is a good analogue to the Slow Food concept and has its own advantages over the interfaces we use today.
inimino 9y ago
Because "software for printers" is actually not what this is. It is an art project, an "artistic operating system", originally an assignment for design students, possibly a cruel joke, a "statement". It's a peculiar failure of comprehension to look at all of that, wonder what it is, then find the software part and come back to the software developer website to report that it is "a set of software for printers". Like a textile specialist staring at a painting for days, not getting it, then finally looking at the back side and, relieved, going back to report to the Textile News readership that it's a linen canvas, stretched and decorated on one side. ...and then suggesting they really should mount it on the wall the other way so people can more easily see what it is.
- gravypod 9y ago
  "Artistic operating system?" It says that they created software to interface with networked computers without a screen. Why is that "artistic" and not receptive to the same criticisms that normal technology is. I for one think it's extremely unfortunate that no one bothered to tell them what a Telex was.... Could have saved the team a lot of trouble.
  - inimino 9y ago
    You're spectacularly (and snarkily) missing the point. It's artistic because it's designed to make you think about different ways of interacting with technology. It is a choice to build a system under imposed constraints, which the Telex obviously was not.

falsedan 9y ago

The landing page is as well-written and informative as 80% of the product announcement posted here, and I agree with you.

arkades 9y ago
80% of the product announcements posted here are greeted with “the landing page needs better copy, I couldn’t figure out what it’s supposed to do.” So, while I agree with you, it really doesn’t undermine OP at all. Especially as it’s common to see people get value from that response; we see creators quite often personally respond with “oh, crap, I didn’t realize, let me work on that.”
- falsedan 9y ago
  What is OP (the article?), and what is undermine?
  - gknoy 9y ago
    I've always taken "OP" to mean "Original Poster" or "Original Parent" -- similar "GP" is often used to mean "Grandparent Poster", as in the post whose reply we are replying to. :)

Kamshak 9y ago

idk if this was updated but i figured this out from the landing page in ~10secs. It's in sentence 3-4 on the page. If you're not reading the copy but instead comments only why complain about the landing page

nathankunicki 9y ago
I've read the copy on the site, the comments here, then went through to the code repository, and still don't really know what this project is or what its meant to do.
ChristianBundy 9y ago
You mean this? > It is constructed using free/libre/open hard- and software components, especially for print, databases, web-scraping and tangible interaction. > Currently, it exists as a working prototype with software "bureaus" which allow a user to read and navigate news, web sites and social media entirely with the use of various printers for output and a barcode scanner for input. That's really not clear. Also, your "if you're not reading the copy but instead comments" thing was both snarky and incorrect. Both are fine, but it's not recommended to be both disagreeable and wrong at the same time.
- fps 9y ago
  What part of "read and navigate news" and "printers for output and barcode scanners for input" isn't absolutely crystal clear? It fully and clearly explains what the system can do and how you interact with it. Do you not know what printers are? Barcode scanners? News?
  - alanbernstein 9y ago
    Yeah, come on guys, this is obviously a renaissance of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CueCat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CueCat
  - scott_s 9y ago
    Because it explains the mechanics but not the intent. Once you intuit the intent by reading more, you can go back and read the mechanics and get it. But in general, it's hard for readers who have no context to pull intent from mechanics. It also helps to acknowledge up front what's different, rather than first presenting the abstraction for that difference ("bureaus"). Something like: The intent of our project is to remove screens from modern computers. We explore presenting information only through physical printouts, and input only through barcode scanners.

gt_ 9y ago

I am interested in everyone’s initial (and resulting) imagined depictions of what this is/looks like. I’m not sure how you can share this with me. Maybe they don’t even vary much. My own depiction figures a slew of packing-taped barcodes on the tables and walls serve as references (links, shortcuts, scripts). So, the worst part is probably that organization abstractions are only accessible through the printer... a very slow command line... could be worse. But, I haven’t a clue how any of this stuff is developed without screens.

crispyambulance 9y ago
I keep trying to imagine what they're describing and every single possibility seems AWFUL and INFLEXIBLE. The landing page isn't helping their cause. The "slow food" concept works great for food, but sorry, it just doesn't translate to "slow computing." Looking a bit closer, this seems to be a design challenge/experiment. Not intended to be practical, but more like a provocative exercise in new possibilities. I actually like it. It is good to try-on half baked ideas sometimes.
- timthorn 9y ago
  > it just doesn't translate to "slow computing." I think it does. If you can remember the Macintosh before the days of the MultiFinder, you ran one application at a time. The interface was simple, and you had to focus on the task at hand. Distractions were limited to any Desk Accessories you might have. Ok, you did have a screen, but I think it is a good analogue to the Slow Food concept and has its own advantages over the interfaces we use today.

inimino 9y ago

Because "software for printers" is actually not what this is. It is an art project, an "artistic operating system", originally an assignment for design students, possibly a cruel joke, a "statement". It's a peculiar failure of comprehension to look at all of that, wonder what it is, then find the software part and come back to the software developer website to report that it is "a set of software for printers". Like a textile specialist staring at a painting for days, not getting it, then finally looking at the back side and, relieved, going back to report to the Textile News readership that it's a linen canvas, stretched and decorated on one side. ...and then suggesting they really should mount it on the wall the other way so people can more easily see what it is.

gravypod 9y ago
"Artistic operating system?" It says that they created software to interface with networked computers without a screen. Why is that "artistic" and not receptive to the same criticisms that normal technology is. I for one think it's extremely unfortunate that no one bothered to tell them what a Telex was.... Could have saved the team a lot of trouble.
- inimino 9y ago
  You're spectacularly (and snarkily) missing the point. It's artistic because it's designed to make you think about different ways of interacting with technology. It is a choice to build a system under imposed constraints, which the Telex obviously was not.