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So the guy's basically asking for a manual when we all know generally, people don't read. Why doesn't he just click around and see what happens? The entire art

by iamwil 16y ago

So the guy's basically asking for a manual when we all know generally, people don't read. Why doesn't he just click around and see what happens? The entire article baffles me.

guptaneil 16y ago
"Normal" people never just click around and see what happens. They're afraid of breaking something. The author is not asking for a manual, he's asking for a better design for first time users. I had a similar impression when I tried Quora too. It seems to be mostly designed for power users who have already invested the time to familiarize themselves with the site. However, only tech-savvy people are going to do that, which will make long-term growth difficult for Quora without a design change. On the other hand, it will maintain the overall quality of the site by limiting its appeal and size.
- suprgeek 16y ago
  This is a really key insight: "They're afraid of breaking something..." is an attitude that Software People never understand but is deeply ingrained in most other people. "Click around until stuff starts to happen and see what sticks" is never a good UI interaction choice and Frontend Software devs need to test all their designs by running it past their (non-computer savvy) grand moms.
- iamwil 16y ago
  This behavior, I'm well aware of. The sentiment, I'm not sure I understand. People have been using the internet for at least a decade now.
kmfrk 16y ago
He writes that the UI is unintelligible, and that the creators haven't (even) created a fall-back resource such as an FAQ. I share his exact sentiment; everything about Quora's front-end is horrible. It boggles the mind how oblivious the Quora team seem of the site's shortcomings - and it's the main reason why I personally thing that they are destined to fail.
- halostatue 16y ago
  My own annoyance tonight: I forgot my password and it wasn't in 1Password. I go to the login page…and there's no "forgot password" link. Anywhere. I'm almost ready to give up when I just try submitting a blank password and a "forgot password" link appears. Dumb.
- iamwil 16y ago
  Odd. While I found that there were lots of different kinds of pages, I found the site engaging. When I visit a Q&A site, I very rarely visit other questions, because when I go there for a question, I go there for the question. Once it's answered, I'm done. But with Quora, I viewed question after question for fun.

by iamwil 16y ago

So the guy's basically asking for a manual when we all know generally, people don't read. Why doesn't he just click around and see what happens? The entire article baffles me.

guptaneil 16y ago

"Normal" people never just click around and see what happens. They're afraid of breaking something. The author is not asking for a manual, he's asking for a better design for first time users. I had a similar impression when I tried Quora too. It seems to be mostly designed for power users who have already invested the time to familiarize themselves with the site. However, only tech-savvy people are going to do that, which will make long-term growth difficult for Quora without a design change. On the other hand, it will maintain the overall quality of the site by limiting its appeal and size.

suprgeek 16y ago
This is a really key insight: "They're afraid of breaking something..." is an attitude that Software People never understand but is deeply ingrained in most other people. "Click around until stuff starts to happen and see what sticks" is never a good UI interaction choice and Frontend Software devs need to test all their designs by running it past their (non-computer savvy) grand moms.
iamwil 16y ago
This behavior, I'm well aware of. The sentiment, I'm not sure I understand. People have been using the internet for at least a decade now.

kmfrk 16y ago

He writes that the UI is unintelligible, and that the creators haven't (even) created a fall-back resource such as an FAQ. I share his exact sentiment; everything about Quora's front-end is horrible. It boggles the mind how oblivious the Quora team seem of the site's shortcomings - and it's the main reason why I personally thing that they are destined to fail.

halostatue 16y ago
My own annoyance tonight: I forgot my password and it wasn't in 1Password. I go to the login page…and there's no "forgot password" link. Anywhere. I'm almost ready to give up when I just try submitting a blank password and a "forgot password" link appears. Dumb.
iamwil 16y ago
Odd. While I found that there were lots of different kinds of pages, I found the site engaging. When I visit a Q&A site, I very rarely visit other questions, because when I go there for a question, I go there for the question. Once it's answered, I'm done. But with Quora, I viewed question after question for fun.