6 ms·

I've helped an otherwise very successful and capable guy (architect) set up a shortcut on his desktop to shut down his machine. Navigating to the power down opt

I've helped an otherwise very successful and capable guy (architect) set up a shortcut on his desktop to shut down his machine. Navigating to the power down option in the menu was too much of a technical hurdle. The gap in needs between the average HNer and the rest of the world is staggering

MassiveQuasar 7mo ago
right clicking start menu and clicking shutdown is too hard? amazing
- antonvs 7mo ago
  It's a while since I've used Windows but I seem to remember it giving a choice of sleep, logout, switch session etc. I could totally see someone wanting a single button for it.
  - dotancohen 7mo ago
    KDE is even worse. No matter which of those you choose, the next screen requires you to choose again. It's been this way since KDE 4.0.
- gmueckl 7mo ago
  Yes! Even closing the windows of programs that users no longer need is hard. It's easy to develop a disconnect with the level that average users operate at when understanding computers deeply is part of the job. I've definitely developed it myself to some extent, but I have occasional moments where my perspective is getting grounded again.
  - ultratalk 7mo ago
    I don't think that's representative of most non-CS professionals. Most people in the fields I know (mostly professors, medical doctors, and businesspeople) can use google chrome, word, powerpoint, and a little of excel decently. There are the occasional few who confuse spreadsheets and databases, but no one who thinks shutting down computers or closing windows is hard. Heck, my ageing dad managed to troubleshoot his printer without any help, and he has no formal computer experience whatsoever. HN has a long history of patronising the "average user" in the guise of paternal figures who don't realise that what they are doing is belittling the vast majority of tech users. I'm guilty of it myself. But they're capable of a lot more than we think they are. Ultimately, it comes down to the willingness people have to learn new things. If they're curious enough to think about how things work, they'll be fine.
    - gmueckl 7mo ago
      Well, I didn't mean for this to be patronizing, but rather as a warning that not everybody is at the same level and the spread is huge. I see it often enough.
    - Glemllksdf 6mo ago
      I'm not doing this to be patronising, more like telling people or myself that assumptions i make, are just not necessarily true for everyone. And weirdly enough, a Task like sorting a file with data in it, if you are not a professional, windows offers very if not non single way of doing this. You would need to understand file types, understand that csv can be imported for excel, you need excel, than you need to understand excel how to sort stuff in it. The ffirst thing I do in Excel is select the pseudo table and click on table -> insert to make it a sortable / real table. I showed this to every one in my Team full of studied CS people because non of them knew this.
- weeb 7mo ago
  Ah yes, this task fails hard at the xkcd.com/627/ tactic of "Find a menu item or button that looks related to what you want to do..." What do I want to do? "turn off my computer" What button do I press? "start"
Insanity 7mo ago
Initially I thought you meant “software architect” and I was flabbergasted at how that’s possible. Took me a minute to realize there’s other architects out there lol.
- deleted 7mo ago
  [deleted]
- djcrayon 7mo ago
  I think you just proved the point here about the divide between the average user of this site and the population.
  - laszlojamf 7mo ago
    The same way most people hear "legacy" and think it's something good
    - ultratalk 7mo ago
      It is? :)
vunderba 7mo ago
This. I’m sure everyone has a similar story of how difficult it was to explain the difference between a program shortcut represented as a visual icon on a desktop versus the actual executable itself to somebody who didn’t grow up in the age of computing. And this was Windows… the purported OS for the masses not the classes.
siva7 7mo ago
Oh boy, the gap between the average it professional and ai pros here is already staggering, let alone the rest of the world. I feel like an alien, no matter where.

MassiveQuasar 7mo ago

right clicking start menu and clicking shutdown is too hard? amazing

antonvs 7mo ago
It's a while since I've used Windows but I seem to remember it giving a choice of sleep, logout, switch session etc. I could totally see someone wanting a single button for it.
- dotancohen 7mo ago
  KDE is even worse. No matter which of those you choose, the next screen requires you to choose again. It's been this way since KDE 4.0.
gmueckl 7mo ago
Yes! Even closing the windows of programs that users no longer need is hard. It's easy to develop a disconnect with the level that average users operate at when understanding computers deeply is part of the job. I've definitely developed it myself to some extent, but I have occasional moments where my perspective is getting grounded again.
- ultratalk 7mo ago
  I don't think that's representative of most non-CS professionals. Most people in the fields I know (mostly professors, medical doctors, and businesspeople) can use google chrome, word, powerpoint, and a little of excel decently. There are the occasional few who confuse spreadsheets and databases, but no one who thinks shutting down computers or closing windows is hard. Heck, my ageing dad managed to troubleshoot his printer without any help, and he has no formal computer experience whatsoever. HN has a long history of patronising the "average user" in the guise of paternal figures who don't realise that what they are doing is belittling the vast majority of tech users. I'm guilty of it myself. But they're capable of a lot more than we think they are. Ultimately, it comes down to the willingness people have to learn new things. If they're curious enough to think about how things work, they'll be fine.
  - gmueckl 7mo ago
    Well, I didn't mean for this to be patronizing, but rather as a warning that not everybody is at the same level and the spread is huge. I see it often enough.
  - Glemllksdf 6mo ago
    I'm not doing this to be patronising, more like telling people or myself that assumptions i make, are just not necessarily true for everyone. And weirdly enough, a Task like sorting a file with data in it, if you are not a professional, windows offers very if not non single way of doing this. You would need to understand file types, understand that csv can be imported for excel, you need excel, than you need to understand excel how to sort stuff in it. The ffirst thing I do in Excel is select the pseudo table and click on table -> insert to make it a sortable / real table. I showed this to every one in my Team full of studied CS people because non of them knew this.
weeb 7mo ago
Ah yes, this task fails hard at the xkcd.com/627/ tactic of "Find a menu item or button that looks related to what you want to do..." What do I want to do? "turn off my computer" What button do I press? "start"

Insanity 7mo ago

Initially I thought you meant “software architect” and I was flabbergasted at how that’s possible. Took me a minute to realize there’s other architects out there lol.

deleted 7mo ago
[deleted]
djcrayon 7mo ago
I think you just proved the point here about the divide between the average user of this site and the population.
- laszlojamf 7mo ago
  The same way most people hear "legacy" and think it's something good
  - ultratalk 7mo ago
    It is? :)

vunderba 7mo ago

This. I’m sure everyone has a similar story of how difficult it was to explain the difference between a program shortcut represented as a visual icon on a desktop versus the actual executable itself to somebody who didn’t grow up in the age of computing. And this was Windows… the purported OS for the masses not the classes.

siva7 7mo ago

Oh boy, the gap between the average it professional and ai pros here is already staggering, let alone the rest of the world. I feel like an alien, no matter where.