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Are Googlers Too Smart For Their Own Good?

Posted by kdawson on from the keep-it-complicated-smarty dept.

theodp writes "If you're a mere mortal, don't be surprised if your first reaction to Google Storage for Developers is 'WTF?!' Offering the kind of 'user-friendly' API one might expect from a bunch of computer science Ph.D.s, Google Storage even manages to overcomplicate the simple act of copying files. Which raises the question: Are Googlers with 'world-class programming skills' capable of producing straightforward, simple-to-use programming interfaces for ordinary humans?"

3 of 307 comments (clear)

  1. Simple Interface from Google? by Ksevio · · Score: 0, Troll

    I've always thought Google was known for their simple to use interfaces. Just look at their home page or Gmail for a couple examples. Even on a lot of their other services like custom search engines and Google Analytics they have a UI that's simple to use. Sure some of their things start out a little rocky for developers, but that's the case for most services. Given time they'll improve.

    1. Re:Simple Interface from Google? by The+Flymaster · · Score: 0, Troll

      This simply isn't correct. An API is the very epitome of a UI. When a company releases code to their customer, that they intend for their customer to USE, that customer is the User. And the interface to that code, the API, is the User Interface. It must be designed well, and must be usable. That said, I agree with the general idea that this particular API is well designed.

  2. Re:API is not a UI by The+Flymaster · · Score: 1, Troll

    No, an API certainly IS a UI. It is the INTERFACE that the USER of a product will USE to INTERFACE with the product. Usability is very, very important in API design.