[OT] "The Condescending UI" (was: Do we need Win95/98/Me support?)

[Nick Sabalausky]

"Steven Schveighoffer" <schveiguy at yahoo.com> wrote in message 
news:op.v8l5cqtfeav7ka at localhost.localdomain...
>
> I just stayed in a hotel this past weekend, where the bedside lamp had 
> those same O and | symbols.  When I wanted to turn the light on or off, do 
> you really think I spent a single microsecond contemplating or 
> interpreting what those symbols mean?  Fuck no!  I just flipped the 
> switch!  If the switches had no symbols I would get the same result.  The 
> symbols added 0 benefit to the switch.
>

Yea. I misunderstood. Naturally, the symbols don't hinder usage. It's just 
that they just don't add much (at least when it's something where it's 
obvious whether it's off or on). Another good example to back up what you're 
saying is how typical household lightswitches never have a prinited 
indication - even on setups where multiple switches control the same light 
(and therefore it's not a simple "up vs down"). And that works out fine.

>
> I find a large lack of common sense in most designs today.

I feel the same way :)

> You may hate  to hear it, but the company that usually gets this right is 
> Apple :)  My  palm phone had an LED that flashed telling me "hey I have a 
> signal  still!"  My iPhone which is on and working gives me no indication 
> until I  try to use it that it is still on and connected.  Which is 
> exactly the  time I need to know.  Who fucking cares if it lost a signal 
> while sitting  on the table not being used?
>

There are certain *elements* of some apple designs that I think are good 
(although I think saying apple "usually" gets it right is WAAAAY off the 
mark). For example, like I said somewhere else recently, the swiping would 
have been a great idea to aid novices if it had been an optional *addition* 
to an interface that was actually practical.

It's not that I think *all* elements of *all* their designs are bad: I just 
think they have an outright addiction to taking minimalism and "treat the 
user like an idiot" waaaay too far. They treat those things like Java treats 
OO, and to similarly disasterous results. (At least, that's the problem I 
have with apple's *designs*. As far as the way they run their business, I 
think they're evil to the point of making MS look like the EFF.)

But then sometimes Apple's design people are just *completely* off their 
fucking rockers: Turn off an iPod? Hold "up" for five seconds! Jesus shit, 
that came from *apple*?!? The alleged king of good "intuitive" design? Just 
how much acid *had* Jobs been dropping?

>> I want *less* lights. Much, much *much* less. Not more.
>
> But you have to admit, it is universal that when a light is on, you know 
> something is "on."  It's hard to misinterpret (except for those cursed off 
> lights).
>

Yea. A little too universal though, unfortunately... :/