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The biggest problem in user-facing software right now is that product managers assume they + an algorithm can figure out what you want based on behavior, and th

The biggest problem in user-facing software right now is that product managers assume they + an algorithm can figure out what you want based on behavior, and that you shouldn't have any direct input in that. The best you'll usually see is an "i don't like this" button. Spotify sidesteps some of this by just giving you a bunch of different algorithms feeding different playlists, so at least there are options, but I miss having settings to tweak to gain more control, or to point it in the right direction better.

PragmaticPulp 6y ago
> The biggest problem in user-facing software right now is that product managers assume they + an algorithm can figure out what you want based on behavior Given Tik Tok's success, this appears to be a correct assumption. For every 1 engineer who wants ten different knobs to use the app like a power user, there are 100 or more regular users who don't want anywhere near that much complexity. Catering to the power users only makes sense if they're your core market. For most public-facing apps, especially free apps, creating and maintaining power user level controls is far more trouble than it's worth.
- majormajor 6y ago
  TikTok appears to let their algorithm do a lot more random walking than other companies. That's in some ways different from power user knobs, but it serves a similar purpose in exploring a broader area instead of assuming they can intuit everything from previously-collected data. That's an improved default that fits well for their app. But infinite scroll is not the only use case in the world. This assumption that "what works for [one app] is the path I should follow because that app has been successful" is frustrating and shortsighted.
- TeMPOraL 6y ago
  Catering to the power users makes sense if you care about your users. Power users aren't born, they're made - through repeated use, and space to grow. "Power user features" are that: space to grow better in using a tool. This isn't happening on social media (except one notable place: interfaces for advertisers), because users there are to be turned into addicts and exploited. With such a design goal, it's reasonable you want to take away user's agency - you want them "engaged" in your "experience", and them having options detracts from that. I'm serious, by the way, this is not just a "FB/IG/YouTube/TikTok are evil" rant. Their whole design is created around hooking users up. If you wanted to design an efficient, ergonomic app for sharing media content with friends or an audience, these social media platforms are almost the opposite of what you want.
throwaway0a5e 6y ago
It's part of the whole ~30yr trend of infantilizing adults and assuming you know better because you're the professional. Nobody believes people can make their own decisions about want they like and dislike anymore.

PragmaticPulp 6y ago

> The biggest problem in user-facing software right now is that product managers assume they + an algorithm can figure out what you want based on behavior Given Tik Tok's success, this appears to be a correct assumption. For every 1 engineer who wants ten different knobs to use the app like a power user, there are 100 or more regular users who don't want anywhere near that much complexity. Catering to the power users only makes sense if they're your core market. For most public-facing apps, especially free apps, creating and maintaining power user level controls is far more trouble than it's worth.

majormajor 6y ago
TikTok appears to let their algorithm do a lot more random walking than other companies. That's in some ways different from power user knobs, but it serves a similar purpose in exploring a broader area instead of assuming they can intuit everything from previously-collected data. That's an improved default that fits well for their app. But infinite scroll is not the only use case in the world. This assumption that "what works for [one app] is the path I should follow because that app has been successful" is frustrating and shortsighted.
TeMPOraL 6y ago
Catering to the power users makes sense if you care about your users. Power users aren't born, they're made - through repeated use, and space to grow. "Power user features" are that: space to grow better in using a tool. This isn't happening on social media (except one notable place: interfaces for advertisers), because users there are to be turned into addicts and exploited. With such a design goal, it's reasonable you want to take away user's agency - you want them "engaged" in your "experience", and them having options detracts from that. I'm serious, by the way, this is not just a "FB/IG/YouTube/TikTok are evil" rant. Their whole design is created around hooking users up. If you wanted to design an efficient, ergonomic app for sharing media content with friends or an audience, these social media platforms are almost the opposite of what you want.

throwaway0a5e 6y ago

It's part of the whole ~30yr trend of infantilizing adults and assuming you know better because you're the professional. Nobody believes people can make their own decisions about want they like and dislike anymore.