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> laughable "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win" -- Misattributed > horrible user interfaces and is every bit as
by ohazi 6y ago
> laughable
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win" -- Misattributed
> horrible user interfaces and is every bit as user-hostile as for-pay software
This statement is laughable. A poorly designed UI is not equivalent to a UI filled with dark patterns. I was asserting that free software is a known solution to user-hostile software, not a solution to bad UI.
Do you really think being confused about how to rebase in git is the same as being tricked into creating an online Microsoft account instead of a local account when installing Windows? Or being tricked into buying some TurboTax add-on that you didn't want or need, and can't refund without wasting 2 hours on the phone?
The solution to the git problem is to read the documentation. Nobody is actively trying to prevent you from solving your problem, the designers are just bad at UI design. The solution to Microsoft's problem is to realize that it's intentionally user-hostile, and you have to find a workaround that they don't want you to use, like temporarily disconnecting from the internet. The solution to the TurboTax problem is to just be vigilant and paranoid and exhausted at all times.
The git situation is unfortunate. The Microsoft and TurboTax situations are stupid user-hostile bullshit. They're not even remotely equivalent.
I'm going to stick to my principles and continue working to create the software future that I actually prefer. I won't tell you to "just fork it and fix it yourself" like some other people might -- you're free to take the short term perspective if you prefer. You're free to laugh at me and others if you prefer.
But in the long run, your perspective is wrong. Free software is like a steamroller. It's slow, but it's slow because the people building it observe what's being built around them and tend to take the longer route of building it correctly rather than just cranking out whatever makes investors happy.
In the long run, the git UI will be improved, or an better replacement will turn up. Microsoft's telemetry, on the other hand, will never go away.
- juped 6y agoThe Git UI will probably never be "improved" because it makes sense to people who understand how Git works rather than pasting command lines they found online, and the few real warts like status output telling you to use "git pull", which is a mistake in the workflows most people use, are too old and entrenched. If you look at the discussions on the mailing list, you'll see people care a lot and make thoughtful decisions about the user experience, it just isn't aimed at the people for whom no possible user interface change would be helpful, because they don't know what's going on and don't read documentation.
- slaymaker1907 6y agoThis is empirically false. Git has added commands solely for the purpose of improved usability via git reset and git switch. Neither of these add new capabilities to git and were instead added to provide clarity.
- SaltyBackendGuy 6y agoMinor nit. I think you're thinking of git restore not git reset.
- ohazi 6y agoI mostly agree with you, but it was just the example that the parent comment used. The same could apply to the GIMP or Inkscape or Blender or FreeCAD or ... (etc.)
- a1369209993 6y agoWell, GIMP breaking ctrl-S is actively user-hostile, but: > if any of that does turn up, you never lose access to the last-good version and source, in case you or someone else wants to fork it.