6 ms·

Thinking of your software as a butler is difficult but important

42 points by cool-RR 16y ago

staktrace 16y ago
Link to interesting article that was posted in the comments: http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-1045782.html http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-1045782.h...
alttab 16y ago
I try to take this approach as well. The minute you start thinking of "minor inconveniences" for the user, you already don't care about them. Your tip will be small.
stcredzero 16y ago
This makes me think of personal assistants. Has anyone tried Timothy Ferris' "life outsourcing" with a virtual personal assistant? Is it all it's cracked up to be?
roadnottaken 16y ago
Some software should be like a powertool, not a butler. It really depends on who you're developing for, I guess, but I can think of lots of software (e.g. Linux CLI tools, IDEs, CAD, etc) that should not treat the user like a pampered idiot.
- alabut 16y ago
  It's fine to have a range of personalities for different software types, including power tools. Flickr comes across as a cheerleader in a language class - excited about meeting people from all over - and it works great for something fun like photos, as opposed to an accounting app.
- TheSOB88 16y ago
  That is a totally tangential idea. The point is to not get in the way of what your user wants to do. TFA says nothing about simplifying the feature set. Also, do you really think all those who use butlers/maids/servants are idiots?
  - xiongchiamiov 16y ago
    > Also, do you really think all those who use butlers/maids/servants are idiots? Of course. Granted, I learned everything I know about them from P.G. Wodehouse...
- spudlyo 16y ago
  I'm sometimes annoyed by programs who won't terminate when I ask them to. When I ask a program to quit, I mean it. I don't care if work is unsaved, I don't care what it is doing on my behalf, I want it dead.
  - philwelch 16y ago
    The worst is when I reboot to install system updates. Then every program I have open feels perfectly entitled to whine that I don't want to browse web pages anymore or something and cancel my restart command.
joelhooks 16y ago
I've always looked at what I do as building helper robots for people to make their work life suck a little less.
mkilling 16y ago
Making your app suck less is easy: go watch real users
- xiongchiamiov 16y ago
  With all of the things we try and do to improve our software, we always seem to miss this one. It's amazing how much your perspective will change.
praptak 16y ago
This analogy has been explored in "The Inmates Are Running the Asylum" book by Alan Cooper. It's a good book, despite some deserved criticism ( http://sheddingbikes.com/posts/1285436217.html http://sheddingbikes.com/posts/1285436217.html ) it raised.

42 points by cool-RR 16y ago

Link to interesting article that was posted in the comments: http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-1045782.html http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-1045782.h...

alttab 16y ago

I try to take this approach as well. The minute you start thinking of "minor inconveniences" for the user, you already don't care about them. Your tip will be small.

stcredzero 16y ago

This makes me think of personal assistants. Has anyone tried Timothy Ferris' "life outsourcing" with a virtual personal assistant? Is it all it's cracked up to be?

roadnottaken 16y ago

Some software should be like a powertool, not a butler. It really depends on who you're developing for, I guess, but I can think of lots of software (e.g. Linux CLI tools, IDEs, CAD, etc) that should not treat the user like a pampered idiot.

alabut 16y ago
It's fine to have a range of personalities for different software types, including power tools. Flickr comes across as a cheerleader in a language class - excited about meeting people from all over - and it works great for something fun like photos, as opposed to an accounting app.
TheSOB88 16y ago
That is a totally tangential idea. The point is to not get in the way of what your user wants to do. TFA says nothing about simplifying the feature set. Also, do you really think all those who use butlers/maids/servants are idiots?
- xiongchiamiov 16y ago
  > Also, do you really think all those who use butlers/maids/servants are idiots? Of course. Granted, I learned everything I know about them from P.G. Wodehouse...
spudlyo 16y ago
I'm sometimes annoyed by programs who won't terminate when I ask them to. When I ask a program to quit, I mean it. I don't care if work is unsaved, I don't care what it is doing on my behalf, I want it dead.
- philwelch 16y ago
  The worst is when I reboot to install system updates. Then every program I have open feels perfectly entitled to whine that I don't want to browse web pages anymore or something and cancel my restart command.

joelhooks 16y ago

I've always looked at what I do as building helper robots for people to make their work life suck a little less.

mkilling 16y ago

Making your app suck less is easy: go watch real users

xiongchiamiov 16y ago
With all of the things we try and do to improve our software, we always seem to miss this one. It's amazing how much your perspective will change.

praptak 16y ago

This analogy has been explored in "The Inmates Are Running the Asylum" book by Alan Cooper. It's a good book, despite some deserved criticism ( http://sheddingbikes.com/posts/1285436217.html http://sheddingbikes.com/posts/1285436217.html ) it raised.