> It is a shame that open source is much more of a subject in the world of programmers than in the world of user interface designers. Is that actually a disadv

> It is a shame that open source is much more of a subject in the world of programmers than in the world of user interface designers. Is that actually a disadvantage? Different people have different tastes. This is true for both the aesthetic and utilitarian aspects of user interface design. Our software should look and behave differently to reflect that reality, and the metric of success ought to be maintaining enough interest in the software to sustain its development. (In the case of open source software, that is attracting enough contributors. In the case of commercial software, that is attracting enough customers.) Indeed, attracting more people may be more of a detriment than anything else. It may alienate the most dedicated contributors or it may attract users who do not contribute. (How many times have we seen open source developers gripe about their product garnering users who place excessive demands upon them?)