I don’t know why it is so popular among software designers to try to direct the users. It is an insane idea.
I bought a new Amazon Kindle last weekend. Before I could read a book on it, I was required to actually do stuff to show I knew how to use it, or forcing me to learn how to use features like highlight a sentence,
Most infuriating of all was a page which asked me to enter my Twitter and Facebook IDs – and there was no option to say ‘no I don’t want to connect my Kindle to a Twitter or Facebook account I just want to read books on it’. I had to select ‘I’ll do it later’ or something similar to go to the next screen.
Once I start thinking like a hacker, like the programmers do themselves, then it is no longer infuriating. The way to get to the next screen is to click ‘I’ll do it later”. But still, I would rather not be guided at all.
I’m a human just like you are – I like to go my own way. “My Way” is maybe Western culture’s most popular songs. Why don’t software enginers get it?
Good software should be like my servant. Its there when I need it and out of my way the rest of the time.
I’m not speaking like an idiot, I’m saying this is how my brain is wired to be, and so is yours.
When will software do that?
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.