I have to say, it was quite refreshing to read an interview on Slashdot that was to the point, on topic, clever, and with appropriate web references contained within. It was straightforward enough for the average reader to understand, with enough obscure references to delight those in the know, and make those just outside of the know to want to learn a little bit.
Allow me to amend my own post. Linux could survive, as long as warranties had to be provided for software that is SOLD. The big companies that are in the Linux business may have a tough time, but Linux itself wouldn't die. After all, it's a cancer, right?:-)
Microwaves don't only do one thing, they have several ranges of functioning, such as defrosting, timed/power settings, individual food settings, date & time functions. Same with VCRs, *much* broader range of function that simply record/playback.
No, a microwave has one function - it heats things. The range of ways it does this function varies. Same with VCRs. In essence, it records and plays back video cassettes. Sure, I can change the channels, but I could do that without my VCR. The reason I have it is to record/playback.
In essense, what is the function of a computer? There is no single answer to that question.
Yeah, this would be bad for Open Source. It would be bad for Microsoft too. Of course, they would probably just legaleze their way around the warranty in the EULA.
At first I thought that nobody would win with software warranties, but then I realized that Microsoft would. They could weather the legal storm, whereas Linux couldn't.
In reality though, there could be no warranty. It would be so jam-packed with disclaimers it would basically be useless. Bumper to bumper warranty my ass - read the fine print.
You kind of outlined my point, except that I don't think that this generation is stupid or lazy. The people who "get" computers use them well, and will advance them. The people who don't need that hand-holding interface. The education you speak of will happen, but it will happen naturally. It just takes time.
This is where improvements in UI design are critical, for society to move forward towards a state where our lives are increasingly integrated with technology, our effort should be focused on being productive, not on the tools that make us productive.
This is where computers are different that all other appliances - they can do more than one thing. Microwaves do one thing. VCRs can do two things (record/playback). TVs do one thing. They all have simple interfaces, and yet some people still can't use a VCR. The interface to computers CANNOT get simpler if it keeps doing more and more complex things. Either the computer has to do a simple task (ala tivo) or people have to learn more complex interfaces. It can happen, it will just take a generation or two.
Look, the GUI is going to get simpler and simpler (and hold more and more hands). Anything else would be an atrocity. As tools improve they get simpler to use.
I agree with what you say, but computers are different than most tools. They are multi-purpose. The basics of a car are the same - they get you from place to place. Computers are getting more complex, in that they can do so many different things. The interface cannot get simpler, unless the function gets simpler.
Otherwise development would be going backwards. You weren't intentionally trolling, but man you're out of touch with the average computer-using Joe.
That was my point about electricity, etc that I think you missed. Once the technology, or thing, becomes so ingrained in society, a product loses it's novelty. People were initially afraid/excited about telephones, electricity, cars, refrigeration, etc. Once it evolved to where it was a standard, normal thing, the magic was gone and people could start using it. Electricity was used originally for light, but now we rely on it for many many things. Computers will be the same. But again, they are more complex, they aren't simple, single-purpose things. Therefore, I think their interfaces will need to be made more complex in order to tap the power out of them. The average Joe computer user won't be the same type of person anymore. In order to tap into the potential power of computers, you either have to simplify their function (then you can simplify the interface) or make the interface more complex but powerful. What may seem complex to us today will be standard for users in 25 years. (again, only if the computer is kept as a multi-function thing)
Command lines are all well and good, and are very useful in a lot of situations, but are ultimately too much of an abstraction for a general user to work with - you're forced to learn, in essence, a new language to "talk" to the machine. Why should the average person need to do this? I would think the goal of good interface design is to lessen the challenge of using the machine for it's purpose - as a tool to retireve information.
This is EXACTLY my point. Right now, this is true for new users. In the next generation or two, there won't be NEW users. Everyone will be a user. It won't need to be made ONLY simple. Right now, with Linux, you have a choice between GUI and CLI. IMO, the interface needs to be a meld between the two. The GUI and CLI are both Interfaces to the OS. They each have their limitations, but the complement each other well. By saying the "future" is a GUI limits you. Maybe not on slashdot, but most other places computer users believe the Interface to be the OS.
I have posted similar comments in various forums recently, probably because the topic of the "next-gen GUI" keeps coming up.
I think there are some important things to point out here.
Microsoft may make things easier to use, but harder to understand. With
all of the hand holding, wizards, and simply doing things for you, the end
user is becoming less and less knowledgable about computers. They are
becoming more and more educated about "The Microsoft Way".
Some say that Linux gui developers have yet to crack the gui solution. I say
that Windows has failed to crack the Command Line Interface (CLI). Why is
a graphical interface always seen as the evolutionary step? Hasn't the
gui gone about as far as it can go? I think with our current technology,
it has. Linux has a GUI and a CLI, both are powerful. Windows has a GUI
and a hobbled CLI.
People talk about the next generation GUI. No. Talk about the next
generation interface. See, the GUI was made simple because the people
using computers were new to them. Do you think that will always be the
case? Can you picture living without automobiles? How about
telephones? Electricity? It can be done, but we are of the
generation(s) that take these thing for granted because they have always
been a part of our lives. The people who had to transition from not
having these things to using them on a daily basis were uncomfortable with
them. This is happening with computers. When I grew up, there were no
computers. I transitioned OK, I went into the field. My siblings did
not. Kids today are growing up with them, so computers are not foreign
objects. They won't need the hand-holding OS, they aren't afraid of the
machines. (Show them a record, or an 8-track tape if you want to see fear
and confusion):-)
People always talk about making the interface simpler.
I think that the interface will not become simpler, it will become a
little more complex, simply becase it won't need to be simple anymore. This is just my theory, and I hope I live to see it become
reality.
I also understand the need to look for the "next great thing", but I don't think we have properly used the interfaces we currently have (GUI with CLI). Although the interface in Minority Report was pretty cool, throw a CLI on there and use the gloves with a virtual keyboard, and you are in business.
I guess I misused the term "processed". I guess I meant "submitted". Like you said, first come, first served. With the money and clout, companies can usually get through the submission process faster. Maybe it is just being familiar with the process, but for some reason I suspect that political agendas exist behind closed doors.
From the article: With so many cooks, Linux is destined to splinter into incompatible versions, Sun says.
Not as long as they follow published, open standards. They may not LOOK compatible, and may not have the same, homogeneous interface, but they will be compatible. The strongest will survive the best, but the others will still be allowed to live. That is how things will be different than today.
I know that in the US, big companies are able to get their patent applications processed MUCH faster than small companies or individuals. Does this happen in the EU? If so, what are your opinions on it, whether it is good/bad/just-the-way-it-is ?
I was talking to some ex-coworkers, and we used to play Quake Mega-Team Fortress over lunch at our old company. Luckily, I saved an archive of the server, and wanted to get it back up and running. We even had a map of our office layout, and a couple of other custom maps we created.
I looked into Knoppix, bt it wasn't as customizable as I wanted. So I used timos rescuecd . It gives you the basic distro, and you can add whatever else you want. I just plopped in the quake directory I had archived, and ran the utility to create the ISO. Now I have a bootable Linux Quake server. All I have to do is boot it up, configure the NIC, and start the server.
I could have configured the NIC before creating it, but I wanted to keep it generic so other people I know can use it. I know a guy who runs AIX, so he couldn't host the server. Now he can, and we can get the old Quake gang back together.
I looked into how to create a bootable distro, and it wasn't as straightforward as I had hoped. Sourceforge and freshmeat to the rescue!
Who cares... TV is such crap these days, if it weren't for my wife I would cancel our digital cable and put up an antenna.
You will - when that antenna won't pick up anything because all television must be digital and have DRM. Think it won't happen?
It will. But it will happen slowly, so that they don't piss off everyone. Just because all TVs must have digital receivers doesn't mean that DRM will be mandated right away. They will wait a few years so that all of the unsuspecting consumers will have the ticking DRM timebombs in place. Then they drop the hammer. The American sheep will accept it as "that's just the way things are".
If you care about security, you should be reading Bugtraq
Then why would the story even be posted here? *IF* they are going to post a story like this, they should put some information in the story. Otherwise, why bother? They had to have the info sitting right in front of them. Do you know how many hits that would have saved the other websites? Slashdot is about reposting stories, it is a meta-news site. News for Nerds and all. Pointing me to another story without giving me any details isn't news.
Hidden CLITechnology and how to use it
on
GUIs for Everyone
·
· Score: 2
"This PC comes with Command Line Interface Technology!"
That wouldn't be a good idea, someone would be bound to make an acronym out of it.
And here is a tip for most of the male/. audience, since someday you may be lucky enough to need it - The first time, after you hopefully figure out where it is, don't spend all your time on it. Pay attention to it, but don't abuse it. Be gentle with it. It can be confusing at first, but if you are observant, you'll get the hang of it. It is a very powerful thing, and if you use it correctly, you will be rewarded.
Re:Sorry, but you are the antithesis of most users
on
GUIs for Everyone
·
· Score: 2
People are as scared of cars as they were 100 years ago - only now they're used to the fear.
Tell that to the a-wipes that talk on their phone and drive their car/SUV like it is a friggin Sherman tank. They need to be MORE afraid of what their autos are capable of doing.
People are not afraid of them in the same way they used to be. They used to be afraid of the concept of automobiles. My grandmother has never driven a car. We let her drive our golf cart once, she crashed into a tree. For everyone else though, they grew up with automobiles, they are used to them. In 10 or 20 years, computers will be the same. You won't be able to find anyone in an industrialized nation that hasn't used a computer. That doesn't mean they have to look under the hood. That is what the mechanics (techs) are for.
(and NO, by yourself in front of the computer doesn't count)
Sorry, but you are the antithesis of most users
on
GUIs for Everyone
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
Just give me screen real estate, UNIX, and I'll customize it to my precise needs.
Sorry, I don't mean to be mean or anything, but you are the exact reason why this approach should not be taken for the mass market. But I agree with you, for my own preferences.
But here is the deal - the mass market needs to be the same, or very similar. Think about TVs, VCRs, etc. They all have the same basic functions. On, off, channel up, channel down, vol up, vol down, play, pause, stop, fwd, rwd, etc. Everyone needs to have similar interfaces. Can you imagine being on the support line of a company that allowed you to configure the interface however you wanted it? Nightmare. It is a nightmare now, when all the interfaces are the same, but at least there is a common starting point. (Go to Start->Settings->...)
Most people don't want to configure that stuff, they just want something that works. I am stepping out of my techie shoes here, because MOST computer users don't care about all that crap. They don't mind that Microsoft makes all the decisions about this or that - as long as it works. I like Linux because it gives me the choice of what I want to use. I like trying out Mozilla, Opera, Konqueror, etc. My family doesn't understand why they would want to use anything other than what they are used to using. I recently got them off of Netscape 4.72 and put them on Opera. I still field phone calls and emails about various things, and get the inevitable "It didn't used to do that".
Microsoft knows what the average shmoe wants, they want things handed to them. They want to be spoon fed because they don't understand these scary computer thingys.
But I think that time could be changing. I have been playing with computers since high school back in the early 80's. I like computers. Kids growing up with computers are taking to them. The time is going to pass where people are scared of them, just like the fear of electricity, telephone, and automobiles passed. The new generation of computer users are going to be the ones who are not aware that computers didn't even exist at some point in time. (just like it is hard for me to imagine a time when telephones or cars didn't exist). They are going to be the ones who decide what direction the personal computer goes. They are the ones who are going to be saying "I remember my first computer, a Pentium 4 with 512MB of memory" instead of "back when I was growing up, we didn't have computers".
But until that time, whatever appeals to the unwashed masses will rule the desktop.
Re:Linux == Pleasure (for me, anyway)
on
GUIs for Everyone
·
· Score: 2
What makes you say that? From the info about his sourceforge project, it says that it's a command line program, not a GUI.
I wasn't going by his sourceforge project, I was replying to what the article said. It was GUI GUI GUI all over the place. And at the end, he says: "We need an Open Source GUI Community and Open Source GUI Project as badly as we need the rest of the Open Source community."
It is assuming that the next generation user interface needs to be graphical. My point is that the current one for Linux (GUI and text) is kind of already next-gen in that it surpasses Windows. The interface is fine, what I think is needed is the ease of use for the common PC user. I still find it a bit annoying when there are dependencies when installing a package, and I have to go off to rpmfind or elsewhere to get up to speed. But I don't mind. I can't even fathom trying to explain that whole process to my mom over the phone. That is my benchmark for how user friendly something is.
Linux == Pleasure (for me, anyway)
on
GUIs for Everyone
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
I found the article interesting, but lacking insight. Consider this:
"It's all about Pleasure."
"I used to derive pleasure when using my Apple, Amiga and sgi because they had a unique personality through various touches and tools that made the interface more cognicent of my existence. Windows completely lacks that interface. It's dumb and arrogant. It's heartless and ultimately disposable."
I don't know about other Linux users, but I do get pleasure in having a desktop with several windows that can all be doing something. I find typing enjoyable and flexible. I can write small scripts to automate some tasks or make some jobs more efficient. I like grep. Compare this to the mouse. The mouse is boring, and very one-dimensional. Without the OS, or a software package, the mouse is pretty useless. That is why there are so many menus (right-click) associated with the mouse. Typing can be melodic, but that click-click-click of the mouse about drives me nuts.
I think what the author is missing is that he thinks the user interface needs to be a GUI. No, that is what Windows offered, and they have pretty much taken it as far as it can go. I am not a Mac person, but I am guessing that the GUI there has gone about as far as it can go too. It's about going back to the basics, back to the keyboard.
Unless of course, someone can figure out a 3D UI like they have in the movies. But that always seems REALLY annoying.
For crying out loud, how about at least putting the text of the security alert in the story. Honestly, how hard would it have been to do that? Now all I know is that there is some security issue with OpenSSL, and I can't get to the site to even see what it is. I know/. can't control the fact that sites get slashdotted, but you could be a little more considerate and give us SOME information.
Slashdot Mirror
.
.
ahh, the Micropoly
got slack? t-shirts.
Allow me to amend my own post. Linux could survive, as long as warranties had to be provided for software that is SOLD. The big companies that are in the Linux business may have a tough time, but Linux itself wouldn't die. After all, it's a cancer, right? :-)
No, a microwave has one function - it heats things. The range of ways it does this function varies. Same with VCRs. In essence, it records and plays back video cassettes. Sure, I can change the channels, but I could do that without my VCR. The reason I have it is to record/playback.
In essense, what is the function of a computer? There is no single answer to that question.
At first I thought that nobody would win with software warranties, but then I realized that Microsoft would. They could weather the legal storm, whereas Linux couldn't.
In reality though, there could be no warranty. It would be so jam-packed with disclaimers it would basically be useless. Bumper to bumper warranty my ass - read the fine print.
You kind of outlined my point, except that I don't think that this generation is stupid or lazy. The people who "get" computers use them well, and will advance them. The people who don't need that hand-holding interface. The education you speak of will happen, but it will happen naturally. It just takes time.
This is where computers are different that all other appliances - they can do more than one thing. Microwaves do one thing. VCRs can do two things (record/playback). TVs do one thing. They all have simple interfaces, and yet some people still can't use a VCR. The interface to computers CANNOT get simpler if it keeps doing more and more complex things. Either the computer has to do a simple task (ala tivo) or people have to learn more complex interfaces. It can happen, it will just take a generation or two.
I agree with what you say, but computers are different than most tools. They are multi-purpose. The basics of a car are the same - they get you from place to place. Computers are getting more complex, in that they can do so many different things. The interface cannot get simpler, unless the function gets simpler.
Otherwise development would be going backwards. You weren't intentionally trolling, but man you're out of touch with the average computer-using Joe.
That was my point about electricity, etc that I think you missed. Once the technology, or thing, becomes so ingrained in society, a product loses it's novelty. People were initially afraid/excited about telephones, electricity, cars, refrigeration, etc. Once it evolved to where it was a standard, normal thing, the magic was gone and people could start using it. Electricity was used originally for light, but now we rely on it for many many things. Computers will be the same. But again, they are more complex, they aren't simple, single-purpose things. Therefore, I think their interfaces will need to be made more complex in order to tap the power out of them. The average Joe computer user won't be the same type of person anymore. In order to tap into the potential power of computers, you either have to simplify their function (then you can simplify the interface) or make the interface more complex but powerful. What may seem complex to us today will be standard for users in 25 years. (again, only if the computer is kept as a multi-function thing)
This is EXACTLY my point. Right now, this is true for new users. In the next generation or two, there won't be NEW users. Everyone will be a user. It won't need to be made ONLY simple. Right now, with Linux, you have a choice between GUI and CLI. IMO, the interface needs to be a meld between the two. The GUI and CLI are both Interfaces to the OS. They each have their limitations, but the complement each other well. By saying the "future" is a GUI limits you. Maybe not on slashdot, but most other places computer users believe the Interface to be the OS.
I think there are some important things to point out here. Microsoft may make things easier to use, but harder to understand. With all of the hand holding, wizards, and simply doing things for you, the end user is becoming less and less knowledgable about computers. They are becoming more and more educated about "The Microsoft Way".
Some say that Linux gui developers have yet to crack the gui solution. I say that Windows has failed to crack the Command Line Interface (CLI). Why is a graphical interface always seen as the evolutionary step? Hasn't the gui gone about as far as it can go? I think with our current technology, it has. Linux has a GUI and a CLI, both are powerful. Windows has a GUI and a hobbled CLI.
People talk about the next generation GUI. No. Talk about the next generation interface. See, the GUI was made simple because the people using computers were new to them. Do you think that will always be the case? Can you picture living without automobiles? How about telephones? Electricity? It can be done, but we are of the generation(s) that take these thing for granted because they have always been a part of our lives. The people who had to transition from not having these things to using them on a daily basis were uncomfortable with them. This is happening with computers. When I grew up, there were no computers. I transitioned OK, I went into the field. My siblings did not. Kids today are growing up with them, so computers are not foreign objects. They won't need the hand-holding OS, they aren't afraid of the machines. (Show them a record, or an 8-track tape if you want to see fear and confusion) :-)
People always talk about making the interface simpler. I think that the interface will not become simpler, it will become a little more complex, simply becase it won't need to be simple anymore. This is just my theory, and I hope I live to see it become reality.
I also understand the need to look for the "next great thing", but I don't think we have properly used the interfaces we currently have (GUI with CLI). Although the interface in Minority Report was pretty cool, throw a CLI on there and use the gloves with a virtual keyboard, and you are in business.
I guess I misused the term "processed". I guess I meant "submitted". Like you said, first come, first served. With the money and clout, companies can usually get through the submission process faster. Maybe it is just being familiar with the process, but for some reason I suspect that political agendas exist behind closed doors.
With so many cooks, Linux is destined to splinter into incompatible versions, Sun says.
Not as long as they follow published, open standards. They may not LOOK compatible, and may not have the same, homogeneous interface, but they will be compatible. The strongest will survive the best, but the others will still be allowed to live. That is how things will be different than today.
I looked into Knoppix, bt it wasn't as customizable as I wanted. So I used timos rescuecd . It gives you the basic distro, and you can add whatever else you want. I just plopped in the quake directory I had archived, and ran the utility to create the ISO. Now I have a bootable Linux Quake server. All I have to do is boot it up, configure the NIC, and start the server.
I could have configured the NIC before creating it, but I wanted to keep it generic so other people I know can use it. I know a guy who runs AIX, so he couldn't host the server. Now he can, and we can get the old Quake gang back together.
I looked into how to create a bootable distro, and it wasn't as straightforward as I had hoped. Sourceforge and freshmeat to the rescue!
YAHOO! WHEEEEE ! IT IS ABOUT FRIGGIN' TIME. OH MY THAT IS THE GREATES...
Oh.
rats.
I thought it said Katz.
I guess because the software effectively repels bugs.
badum-tshh. Thanks! I'll be here all week, tip your waitresses.
You will - when that antenna won't pick up anything because all television must be digital and have DRM. Think it won't happen?
It will. But it will happen slowly, so that they don't piss off everyone. Just because all TVs must have digital receivers doesn't mean that DRM will be mandated right away. They will wait a few years so that all of the unsuspecting consumers will have the ticking DRM timebombs in place. Then they drop the hammer. The American sheep will accept it as "that's just the way things are".
Then why would the story even be posted here? *IF* they are going to post a story like this, they should put some information in the story. Otherwise, why bother? They had to have the info sitting right in front of them. Do you know how many hits that would have saved the other websites? Slashdot is about reposting stories, it is a meta-news site. News for Nerds and all. Pointing me to another story without giving me any details isn't news.
That wouldn't be a good idea, someone would be bound to make an acronym out of it.
And here is a tip for most of the male /. audience, since someday you may be lucky enough to need it - The first time, after you hopefully figure out where it is, don't spend all your time on it. Pay attention to it, but don't abuse it. Be gentle with it. It can be confusing at first, but if you are observant, you'll get the hang of it. It is a very powerful thing, and if you use it correctly, you will be rewarded.
Tell that to the a-wipes that talk on their phone and drive their car/SUV like it is a friggin Sherman tank. They need to be MORE afraid of what their autos are capable of doing.
People are not afraid of them in the same way they used to be. They used to be afraid of the concept of automobiles. My grandmother has never driven a car. We let her drive our golf cart once, she crashed into a tree. For everyone else though, they grew up with automobiles, they are used to them. In 10 or 20 years, computers will be the same. You won't be able to find anyone in an industrialized nation that hasn't used a computer. That doesn't mean they have to look under the hood. That is what the mechanics (techs) are for.
Have you EVER used your floppy? :-)
(and NO, by yourself in front of the computer doesn't count)
Sorry, I don't mean to be mean or anything, but you are the exact reason why this approach should not be taken for the mass market. But I agree with you, for my own preferences.
But here is the deal - the mass market needs to be the same, or very similar. Think about TVs, VCRs, etc. They all have the same basic functions. On, off, channel up, channel down, vol up, vol down, play, pause, stop, fwd, rwd, etc. Everyone needs to have similar interfaces. Can you imagine being on the support line of a company that allowed you to configure the interface however you wanted it? Nightmare. It is a nightmare now, when all the interfaces are the same, but at least there is a common starting point. (Go to Start->Settings->...)
Most people don't want to configure that stuff, they just want something that works. I am stepping out of my techie shoes here, because MOST computer users don't care about all that crap. They don't mind that Microsoft makes all the decisions about this or that - as long as it works. I like Linux because it gives me the choice of what I want to use. I like trying out Mozilla, Opera, Konqueror, etc. My family doesn't understand why they would want to use anything other than what they are used to using. I recently got them off of Netscape 4.72 and put them on Opera. I still field phone calls and emails about various things, and get the inevitable "It didn't used to do that".
Microsoft knows what the average shmoe wants, they want things handed to them. They want to be spoon fed because they don't understand these scary computer thingys.
But I think that time could be changing. I have been playing with computers since high school back in the early 80's. I like computers. Kids growing up with computers are taking to them. The time is going to pass where people are scared of them, just like the fear of electricity, telephone, and automobiles passed. The new generation of computer users are going to be the ones who are not aware that computers didn't even exist at some point in time. (just like it is hard for me to imagine a time when telephones or cars didn't exist). They are going to be the ones who decide what direction the personal computer goes. They are the ones who are going to be saying "I remember my first computer, a Pentium 4 with 512MB of memory" instead of "back when I was growing up, we didn't have computers".
But until that time, whatever appeals to the unwashed masses will rule the desktop.
I wasn't going by his sourceforge project, I was replying to what the article said. It was GUI GUI GUI all over the place. And at the end, he says:
"We need an Open Source GUI Community and Open Source GUI Project as badly as we need the rest of the Open Source community."
It is assuming that the next generation user interface needs to be graphical. My point is that the current one for Linux (GUI and text) is kind of already next-gen in that it surpasses Windows. The interface is fine, what I think is needed is the ease of use for the common PC user. I still find it a bit annoying when there are dependencies when installing a package, and I have to go off to rpmfind or elsewhere to get up to speed. But I don't mind. I can't even fathom trying to explain that whole process to my mom over the phone. That is my benchmark for how user friendly something is.
"It's all about Pleasure."
"I used to derive pleasure when using my Apple, Amiga and sgi because they had a unique personality through various touches and tools that made the interface more cognicent of my existence. Windows completely lacks that interface. It's dumb and arrogant. It's heartless and ultimately disposable."
I don't know about other Linux users, but I do get pleasure in having a desktop with several windows that can all be doing something. I find typing enjoyable and flexible. I can write small scripts to automate some tasks or make some jobs more efficient. I like grep. Compare this to the mouse. The mouse is boring, and very one-dimensional. Without the OS, or a software package, the mouse is pretty useless. That is why there are so many menus (right-click) associated with the mouse. Typing can be melodic, but that click-click-click of the mouse about drives me nuts.
I think what the author is missing is that he thinks the user interface needs to be a GUI. No, that is what Windows offered, and they have pretty much taken it as far as it can go. I am not a Mac person, but I am guessing that the GUI there has gone about as far as it can go too. It's about going back to the basics, back to the keyboard.
Unless of course, someone can figure out a 3D UI like they have in the movies. But that always seems REALLY annoying.
For crying out loud, how about at least putting the text of the security alert in the story. Honestly, how hard would it have been to do that? Now all I know is that there is some security issue with OpenSSL, and I can't get to the site to even see what it is. I know /. can't control the fact that sites get slashdotted, but you could be a little more considerate and give us SOME information.