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People building free software generally have themselves as the target demographic People building free software generally have themselves as the target user, w
by prospero 17y ago
People building free software generally have themselves as the target demographic
People building free software generally have themselves as the target user, which is not the same thing.
Advanced users benefit from straightforward design and simple workflows as much as anyone else. The programmer may want every facet of functionality to be readily available, but the majority of users, novice or otherwise, will not care. The user should not be forced to have the same depth of understanding as the person who made the software, even if the user is perfectly capable of attaining it.
- javert 17y agoWhat's the difference between a target "user" and a target "demographic"? You're right that advanced users benefit from straightforward design and simple workflows. But I think saying "Linux usability sucks" is tackling a much broader issue than that. Plus, I would argue that Unix, and Linux, are all about straightforward design and simple workflows. Think about pipes and the command line.
- prospero 17y agoA user is a specific person (in this case, the developer), who is not an accurate proxy for a broader classification of people (in this case, people whose technical acumen is similar to the developer's). And as to pipes, they're useful in the way LEGO blocks are useful: you can make pretty much anything you want from them. But sometimes it's just more fun to have a toy you can play with immediately, no construction required.