Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Software Usability As A Technical Problem

Posted by timothy on from the problem-is-that-people-like-different-things dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Let's face it. Poor user interface design is a big problem in software today, particularly in the Open Source world. A recent article on NewsForge addresses this problem from the perspective that software usability is a technical issue that Open Source developers can and should face and conquer, just as we have conquered other technical problems that have stood in our way." (Slashdot and NewsForge are both part of OSDN.)

2 of 551 comments (clear)

  1. OSS has no user interface problems (for me) by damm0 · · Score: 1, Troll

    I am a user of software, and the interface I've come to use more than any other for my professional work is vi.

    From my perspective, OSS has no user interface problems. The interfaces I use are first rate - mostly that's why I use open source software. A good UI is something that can only be judged from the needs of the people that use it.

  2. Re:not really by JamesP · · Score: 0, Troll

    Please, please, please...

    Usability in the Open Source World (with notable exeptions like Mozilla) SUCKS BIG TIME.

    GTK file dialog (even the new one) IS A JOKE.

    Installing programs, drivers SUCKS BIG TIME. Yeah, tell joe average all he has to do is:

    tar (wtf?) foobar.tgz ./configure
    make
    make install

    Yeah easy...

    Sorry guys, open source has a LONG WAY TO GO.

    --
    how long until /. fixes commenting on Chrome?