4 ms·

All too often, especially in the open source world, settings are used as a way to not figure out how to make a good default. When the default is crap, I am forc

by larsrc 5y ago

All too often, especially in the open source world, settings are used as a way to not figure out how to make a good default. When the default is crap, I am forced to go to the settings and spend way too much time finding my way around a gazillion possibilities.

simion314 5y ago
>All too often, especially in the open source world, settings are used as a way to not figure out how to make a good default. When the default is crap, I am forced to go to the settings and spend way too much time finding my way around a gazillion possibilities. IS there any evidence for this? Like what should be the default font or font size? Is there evidence that there is such a good default? The problem is you want that the good defaults match your preferences without proof that those defaults are good, Sure there are exceptions where evil or big ego people will force their preference over what the users want. Do you play video games? , if yes don't you think that sometimes you need to adjust the sound volume, font sizes, difficulty to match you? Do you listen to radio ? Isn't great you can adjust the volume or change the station? Do you use and IDE ? isn't great that you can change the color scheme, the code formatting scheme, the keyboard shortcuts, that you can install plugins to add more features to help you with your work? True story, I installed for my son an emulator and installed a game he wanted to play, after a few hours I ask about the game and he tells me that the controller buttons were weird/reversed but he got used to that. I then went in the menus and found the setting where he could have change those buttons so he do not have to suffer and rewire his muscle memory, the conclusion is we need to teach people to not be afraid to think "this software should work differently, let me check for a setting instead of torturing myself". P.S was not the emulator program fault, it could not have a default that worked for all game and controller combinations.
- Gigachad 5y ago
  I'm not advocating for _no_ settings. I'm saying a limited selection of settings are useful, putting just about everything behind a setting like many FOSS programs do is bad. Accessibility is the biggest one where people have certain strict needs which go against the usual. Font size is an example of this accessibility requirement. I don't like settings for UI, there usually is one correct or best UI. I don't want to see settings to configure the drop shadow amount. I use an iPhone because its generally just exactly what I want. And in the few cases it isn't there is a setting for it or its not actually important and I deal with it. Moving from android I was upset there wasn't a setting to have the keyboard use the vibration motor rather than a click sound but after a week I didn't care at all and I'm glad there aren't 2 billion settings to make iOS work like Android. I leave my IDE theme on the default, my wallpaper on the default, ringtone on the default. None of it actually matters for getting work done and living life.
  - simion314 5y ago
    >I leave my IDE theme on the default, For sure you installed some plugin, enabled/disabled some feature in your IDE. My terminal apps has tabs and profiles, I have my important server SSH open in a tab with a red color scheme to remind me this is not my local and I should pay attention. Sure more then 50$ of the users don't need this but why should the terminal developers not put this important feature for power users in ? I mean regular users should not open the advanced settings, or if by mistake a GNOME users will open it , will have a short segfault/reboot and then proceed to uninstall the app and installed some crippled software or buy an iPad. Do we really need to hide power user settings under some "Cheat code" so this type of users don't see by accident the options screen? do we need to protect their limited ....?

by larsrc 5y ago

simion314 5y ago

>All too often, especially in the open source world, settings are used as a way to not figure out how to make a good default. When the default is crap, I am forced to go to the settings and spend way too much time finding my way around a gazillion possibilities. IS there any evidence for this? Like what should be the default font or font size? Is there evidence that there is such a good default? The problem is you want that the good defaults match your preferences without proof that those defaults are good, Sure there are exceptions where evil or big ego people will force their preference over what the users want. Do you play video games? , if yes don't you think that sometimes you need to adjust the sound volume, font sizes, difficulty to match you? Do you listen to radio ? Isn't great you can adjust the volume or change the station? Do you use and IDE ? isn't great that you can change the color scheme, the code formatting scheme, the keyboard shortcuts, that you can install plugins to add more features to help you with your work? True story, I installed for my son an emulator and installed a game he wanted to play, after a few hours I ask about the game and he tells me that the controller buttons were weird/reversed but he got used to that. I then went in the menus and found the setting where he could have change those buttons so he do not have to suffer and rewire his muscle memory, the conclusion is we need to teach people to not be afraid to think "this software should work differently, let me check for a setting instead of torturing myself". P.S was not the emulator program fault, it could not have a default that worked for all game and controller combinations.

Gigachad 5y ago
I'm not advocating for _no_ settings. I'm saying a limited selection of settings are useful, putting just about everything behind a setting like many FOSS programs do is bad. Accessibility is the biggest one where people have certain strict needs which go against the usual. Font size is an example of this accessibility requirement. I don't like settings for UI, there usually is one correct or best UI. I don't want to see settings to configure the drop shadow amount. I use an iPhone because its generally just exactly what I want. And in the few cases it isn't there is a setting for it or its not actually important and I deal with it. Moving from android I was upset there wasn't a setting to have the keyboard use the vibration motor rather than a click sound but after a week I didn't care at all and I'm glad there aren't 2 billion settings to make iOS work like Android. I leave my IDE theme on the default, my wallpaper on the default, ringtone on the default. None of it actually matters for getting work done and living life.
- simion314 5y ago
  >I leave my IDE theme on the default, For sure you installed some plugin, enabled/disabled some feature in your IDE. My terminal apps has tabs and profiles, I have my important server SSH open in a tab with a red color scheme to remind me this is not my local and I should pay attention. Sure more then 50$ of the users don't need this but why should the terminal developers not put this important feature for power users in ? I mean regular users should not open the advanced settings, or if by mistake a GNOME users will open it , will have a short segfault/reboot and then proceed to uninstall the app and installed some crippled software or buy an iPad. Do we really need to hide power user settings under some "Cheat code" so this type of users don't see by accident the options screen? do we need to protect their limited ....?