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Presenting things as they are and stating limitations first seems like a good way of avoiding the issues mentioned in the article. Rather than hooking people w

by yoz-y 7y ago

Presenting things as they are and stating limitations first seems like a good way of avoiding the issues mentioned in the article. Rather than hooking people with benefits and then disappointing them with the cost, only those who remain interested after they are familiar with the downsides will stay and listen. It also serves as a good time saver for both parties.

afarrell 7y ago
It also lets people set themselves up to engage with the thing in a way that works well for them. If they go into it thinking "oh, this is like installing windows" and then their expectations violated, they will be frustrated. If they go into it thinking "oh, this is a way to get more out of a computer, if I'm willing to do some debugging." then they can think "well, I'm the type of person that does things best when I've got a solid theoretical grounding. Let me go get a book first." or "well, this could be a puzzle, let me get a sandwich before I attempt this." Working with Linux is indeed frustrating at times, but it can be well-worth mustering the frustration-tolerance. But to do that, you've got to know yourself and know what you're getting yourself into.
ineedasername 7y ago
I don't know, sometimes presenting the costs second is still okay. I literally had the following conversation with my son this morning, who is a very picky eater: Me: Today's school lunch is serving a giant chicken nugget. Will you eat that? Son: Yay, okay, I love chicken nuggets! Me: There's a bun involved, you can ignore it. Son: ::shrugs:: okay He hates sandwiches. If I had lead with the cost, that he'd be getting the breaded chicken patty in the form of a sandwich, he would have refused. Now, he'll happily set the bun aside. Kids are weird. But, I guess adults are too.
- apocalypstyx 7y ago
  Reminds me of the old joke: The French existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre was sitting in a cafe when a waitress approached him: “Can I get you something to drink, Monsieur Sartre?” Sartre replied, “Yes, I’d like a cup of coffee with sugar, but no cream”. Nodding agreement, the waitress walked off to fill the order and Sartre returned to working. A few minutes later, however, the waitress returned and said, “I’m sorry, Monsieur Sartre, we are all out of cream — how about with no milk?”

by yoz-y 7y ago

afarrell 7y ago

It also lets people set themselves up to engage with the thing in a way that works well for them. If they go into it thinking "oh, this is like installing windows" and then their expectations violated, they will be frustrated. If they go into it thinking "oh, this is a way to get more out of a computer, if I'm willing to do some debugging." then they can think "well, I'm the type of person that does things best when I've got a solid theoretical grounding. Let me go get a book first." or "well, this could be a puzzle, let me get a sandwich before I attempt this." Working with Linux is indeed frustrating at times, but it can be well-worth mustering the frustration-tolerance. But to do that, you've got to know yourself and know what you're getting yourself into.

ineedasername 7y ago

I don't know, sometimes presenting the costs second is still okay. I literally had the following conversation with my son this morning, who is a very picky eater: Me: Today's school lunch is serving a giant chicken nugget. Will you eat that? Son: Yay, okay, I love chicken nuggets! Me: There's a bun involved, you can ignore it. Son: ::shrugs:: okay He hates sandwiches. If I had lead with the cost, that he'd be getting the breaded chicken patty in the form of a sandwich, he would have refused. Now, he'll happily set the bun aside. Kids are weird. But, I guess adults are too.

apocalypstyx 7y ago
Reminds me of the old joke: The French existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre was sitting in a cafe when a waitress approached him: “Can I get you something to drink, Monsieur Sartre?” Sartre replied, “Yes, I’d like a cup of coffee with sugar, but no cream”. Nodding agreement, the waitress walked off to fill the order and Sartre returned to working. A few minutes later, however, the waitress returned and said, “I’m sorry, Monsieur Sartre, we are all out of cream — how about with no milk?”