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I disagree. Understanding how users use your software and what they are trying to accomplish with it is important, and it is not always obvious why a user is a
by Bill_Dimm 14y ago
I disagree. Understanding how users use your software and what they are trying to accomplish with it is important, and it is not always obvious why a user is asking for a particular feature without asking. Furthermore, when you learn what the user is trying to accomplish with the feature they are asking for you may realize that there is a better way of providing that functionality rather than the specific approach the user requested.
- furyofantares 14y agoI think the two of you are mostly in agreement. I believe mikecane is talking about someone that believes their mental model of users' needs, desires, and expectations is complete, and is using the question as a way to shut down a feature, with the implication being "if the reason someone might want X is not immediately obvious to me, it must not exist." I don't think he was talking about someone that acknowledges that their understanding of users is incomplete and wants to learn more.
- Livven 14y agoThat's how I understood it too, and I completely agree with it.
- mikecane 14y agoYes. As an example, Jobs putting actual typefaces into the original Mac. Anyone used to the existing computing paradigm back then would have asked, "Why would a user want that?" Another infamous example is the marketeers at CompuServe thinking the CB Simulator was a bad idea -- and today we have something like it, called Twitter.
- temp8675309 14y agoWhy is Twitter a good idea? It's clearly an idea that's achieved traction with a userbase, but what is it about Twitter that makes it a "good" idea?
- mikecane 14y agoPeople like to chat with other people in real time. CompuServe's CB Simulator was a huge money draw for them (back then you paid per minute of connect-time).