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Why do we have to design for the lowest capacity users? Are they the largest demographic, or doesn't that matter?
by malwarebytess 5y ago
Why do we have to design for the lowest capacity users? Are they the largest demographic, or doesn't that matter?
- dataflow 5y agoWell it depends on what you're designing. For a general-purpose OS used by everyone and their grandmothers, it makes sense to have them in mind and let the more advanced users customize the settings. And I would assume non-computer-savvy folks are indeed the largest demographic too, though I don't have data on it. And also, if you believe it's a good thing for the world to become digital (say, to reduce carbon emissions), you need products and services to be accessible to most kinds of users.
- austhrow743 5y agoThey're the least able and likely to make their way to settings to change it.
- throwaway3699 5y agoI can tell you it's been a total nightmare when family members have been phished and hacked. It's happened to grandparents on both sides of the family. One of them has learned and is still getting better, but the other has been trying for 20 years and computers are turning into a phobia for her. As everything moves online there is a non-trivial portion of the population getting shut out. Government services are moving online for the most part. Imagine not being able to help your grandkids with homework, or even do video calls during the pandemic, without a fear of losing your life savings. I don't like the dumbing down of browsers and the web, but I do believe we (computer professionals, etc...) have to find a way to solve this problem for everyone.