Splitter quiz / survey

[Robert Fraser]

bearophile wrote:
> Robert Fraser:
>> bearophile wrote:
>>> To design an API you have to start collecting possible (even ideal) users. Then you trim them down to the few most important people, and give a face and a name to each one of them.
>> LOL, user personalities. I remember catering to the user "Mustafa" when 
>> I was working at MS, which I think I misunderstood to have something to 
>> do with the Circle of Life.
> 
> Do you mean Mufasa :-)

That name sends chills up my spine. Ooh, say it again!

> I was not talking about personalities, but mostly about classes of users; people have all different skills and necessities, but can often be categorized in few groups. Then you give a name to a representative of each class. You don't need to give them detailed personalities, just the characteristics that tell the classes apart.
> I haven't invented this method, it comes from Alan Cooper (Visual Basic) and Donald Norman ( human-centered design).
> Python core developers don't use this method, by the way. I have used it do design small programs with a GUI, starting from such user classes => use cases  => GUI => logic.

That's what I meant. Mufasa is a user with significant database 
administration experience and expanded privileges, who has lots of 
general computer knowledge. He knows some scripting and SQL, but doesn't 
understand programming. He comes from a UNIX background but recently 
migrated to Windows/SQL Server... or something like that, I don't 
remember exactly. But if I remember right, Mufasa's personality 
archetype also included some example personal details (he is in his 
early 40s and married with two kids, IIRC). I guess that helps you 
picture the user better or something.