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Then why do I spend many seconds trying to find certain buttons that are right in front of me ("Where the hell did that ordered list button go?") and even longe

Then why do I spend many seconds trying to find certain buttons that are right in front of me ("Where the hell did that ordered list button go?") and even longer trying to find buttons that aren't even there? Terminal-based programs also do make use of color as well as white space and grouping. They do convey information visually. A primary example of this is `ls -l` (the color option is different on different systems, but is almost always aliased on by default).

KirinDave 15y ago
No one is arguing that guis turn you into some kind of unerring productivity robot instantly navigating through huge sums of interface magically. The point is that well-designed GUIs can make better use of a large subset of the human brain. Poorly designed ones will not. And, some tasks are so inherently visual that they're not even up for debate. For example, there simply is no opportunity for a command line tool to enable what Lightroom or Aperture enable. It's simply too visual a task.
- planckscnst 15y ago
  Likewise, nobody is saying those kinds of tasks are served better by a terminal program. However, I would argue that adding an autocompleting command line to any of those kinds of programs would make them better, but that is a different point. The core issue at hand is this: people should really look at the tasks they do and consider whether a command line interface could be beneficial for the task, they might likely be in for a very pleasant surprise if they try it.
  - deleted 15y ago
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- ori_b 15y ago
  GUIs are great for getting responses from the computer. CLIs are great for telling the computer what to do clearly and effectively. I want a command line that can draw the output graphically. I want a GUI that can be driven through text. If anyone's ever used Rhino3d, it has a command line at the top of the window. That was probably the single most productivity boosting feature of the entire UI.
j-kidd 15y ago
> A primary example of this is `ls -l` (the color option is different on different systems, but is almost always aliased on by default). A primary non-example is Ubuntu, where $PS1 is colorless, and `grep --color=auto` is not aliased to `grep`. It is the least user friendly distro if you use the command line.

KirinDave 15y ago

No one is arguing that guis turn you into some kind of unerring productivity robot instantly navigating through huge sums of interface magically. The point is that well-designed GUIs can make better use of a large subset of the human brain. Poorly designed ones will not. And, some tasks are so inherently visual that they're not even up for debate. For example, there simply is no opportunity for a command line tool to enable what Lightroom or Aperture enable. It's simply too visual a task.

planckscnst 15y ago
Likewise, nobody is saying those kinds of tasks are served better by a terminal program. However, I would argue that adding an autocompleting command line to any of those kinds of programs would make them better, but that is a different point. The core issue at hand is this: people should really look at the tasks they do and consider whether a command line interface could be beneficial for the task, they might likely be in for a very pleasant surprise if they try it.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
ori_b 15y ago
GUIs are great for getting responses from the computer. CLIs are great for telling the computer what to do clearly and effectively. I want a command line that can draw the output graphically. I want a GUI that can be driven through text. If anyone's ever used Rhino3d, it has a command line at the top of the window. That was probably the single most productivity boosting feature of the entire UI.

j-kidd 15y ago

> A primary example of this is `ls -l` (the color option is different on different systems, but is almost always aliased on by default). A primary non-example is Ubuntu, where $PS1 is colorless, and `grep --color=auto` is not aliased to `grep`. It is the least user friendly distro if you use the command line.