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I feel like the push to make software accessible (in a new-user, not disability, context) and intuitive has made complexity the enemy. Instead of having softwar
by hnick 4y ago
I feel like the push to make software accessible (in a new-user, not disability, context) and intuitive has made complexity the enemy. Instead of having software that grows with the user's capability, features are hidden from the top layer of interactivity or just cut entirely.
I was at the post office here in Australia a few years ago and saw the screen. It was one of those DOS-era full screen red and blue text interfaces. She was flying through hotkeys and getting things done. People can learn, so much software treats them as infants.
And you know there's definitely someone looking at replacing that software with a modern GUI.
- worthless-trash 4y agoFor future reference (and anyone following along later), that is an "ncurses" terminal application. You should see the customized JBHIFI terminal + keyboard.
- fragmede 4y agowhat are those? searching for JBHIFI terminal only brings up a store in Australia of that name selling square POS terminals. Bloomberg terminals also have a custom keyboard and are essentially a terminal program.
- hnick 4y agoYeah JB Hi-Fi is a local retailer in Aus (guessing it's like a Best Buy but a strong focus on music CDs originally), it's probably a reference to the software the staff uses. Haven't had a chance to look over their shoulder at that one.
- happymellon 4y agoSo should we be doing demos in Bash, with an ncurses or gum workflow before going back to write the proper system in C?
- worthless-trash 4y agoI dont see the problem with this. What is "Gum workflow" in this context ?
- happymellon 4y agoNeither do I. It was supposed to be read: A [ncurses or gum] workflow. Gum being an alternative method of making a Bash UI. https://github.com/charmbracelet/gum https://github.com/charmbracelet/gum
- worthless-trash 4y agoThanks, thats a neat tool!
- worthless-trash 4y agoI dont seem to have a shot of the terminal app, but I do for the keyboard: https://photos.app.goo.gl/fLeDNp8rU7wN7siXA https://photos.app.goo.gl/fLeDNp8rU7wN7siXA
- BigJono 4y agoI did an internship there like 10 years ago at the end of my uni course, where one of my projects was to do a proof of concept of re-implementing their point-of-sale application using web technologies, maintaining the DOS-y look, feel, keyboard shortcuts etc. At the time I had no idea why. In hindsight, it's hilarious. I'm guessing it was the result of a clash between someone that wanted to use modern tech for the sake of it and someone representing the users that told them to get fucked, probably went through 15 meetings before eventually getting palmed off on the intern so it didn't pick up too much steam (probably the only good decision that was made in the whole process).
- djmips 4y agoI remember that being a key difference between the graphical / modelling software SoftImage and Maya. With the former a TUI and the latter a GUI. The Maya approach won out because getting new people productive quickly was more important than their longer term productivity it seems. Maybe it has something to do with turnover but maybe there are people who can do good creative work but can't adapt to using a TUI or at least are frightened of it.
- JoBrad 4y agoI think you’re onto something with this. SAP power users can input data at blazing speeds, because they remember so many of the codes. So this definitely isn’t just a GUI vs TUI paradigm.