Usability/= dumbed down Usability/= lack of control
Usability is the process of making something usable, not making it unusable. Usability is the process of giving control, not taking it away. Usability is elegance in interface. Your uninformed attitude is exactly the problem computer programmers and users have these days. There is a process of making something useable, and from what it sounds like you are confused as to the desired outcome.
The sad thing about people with this attitude is that you would rather see a program with elegant code and an inelegant interface because you somehow think it's more powerful. We as coders should be sticklers on elegance in Code and in Interface.
This all ties into a more basic problem with computer programmers; communication. We need to learn how to communicate with the rest of the world. I don't know how many times I've been in a business meeting where I have had to deal with users, managers, and sales people and after the meeting they have told me how amazing it was to speak with someone who was technically trained, yet knew how to speak to a layman.
This is the exact same thing here, we expect the layman to learn our vocabulary and now you want them to learn our esoteric ways of using programs. We spend years learning how to break complex problems into small logical problems which can be solved. We solve these problems using complex logical diagrams and patterns. Now as it is our job to break these problems down into solvable problems, it is also our job to synthesize the results into a useable dataset. Part of that usable dataset is actionable results, as well as useable interfaces to access those results.
Please, for the sake of your job learn some usability. If you don't someone else will end up maintaining your code and getting your job, and they will be asked to make your code more useable. Heck, they might even be asked to make the code do something you already have it capable of doing, but no one can figure out how to make it do that. Have you ever heard of that problem (MS WORD).
Apple did not want to license their DRM scheme (which, by the way, seems awful darn liberal) to Real. I wouldn't want to do business with Real either...they've been making themselves the enemies of their customers for the better part of a decade.
For years we have had to have our noses shoved into Reals crap, and now that another company is having to deal with the same crap we have had to deal with all these years, we are empathizing with Apple. Also, becuase lots of us already own a bit of Apple in the form of an iPod, we feel like we are having to relive a nightmare of spyware and crappy software.
Which leads to another point. We know in the long term Real Software has sucked, who knows what it will look like a year from now, when Apple has added even more features to the iPod.
Hmmm.... How many hoops is a lot? And what are they, I personally didn't find any hoops to jump through other than giving them a credit card number to charge to?
I think that this is a good first step. To be honest, I don't really think that our country is run by a bunch of idiots, I bet they can see the problems they may face no matter which direction they decide to go, this is a good first step in raising the issue to a point for discussion.
But I probably shouldn't bring all that up, I know the comments people will leave will turn into a anti-political/anti-corporate bashing slugfest. But in the end, I hope people see this as the governments way of starting to listen.
But they are related and not totally independent. An increase in Market Share increases profit, all else being equal.
If Apple wants to increase Profit, it needs to increase Market Share. Margins are already too high for 90% of the market. Most of the reasons people will not purchase a Apple is Purchase Price or Market Share.
And the reason the price was cheaper was that the PC has a more open architecture, and people/companies were able to build cheaper, and yet even more cheaper accessories. (sound cards, Video Cards, etc). This made the market larger and larger. Which in turn made people want to develop for it. All this generated a nice feedback loop which continued to drive each other.
1. Open Market 2. Cheaper to Develop 3. Cheaper computers 4. More Customers 5. More Developers (Games) 6. Goto 2
Now, they just need to come up with a system so you can track your closest friends to ensure that you don't give it to someone who isn't a friend of yours.
Oh, wait, do I really want the government to have that information? I mean it would be wonderful, when they drag you in for being a terrorist, they can drag your friends in as well, or when one of your friends gets dragged in, so do you.
Even as I click submit, I know I haven't given these issues the thought a good response deserves, but that's the nature of slashdot.
Well, I like the idea of using nature as prior art. That's a solution which solves a lot of problems, and moves the debate to a place where it should be, which is how do you protect a novel idea, in order to protect someone's idea. I think I've said enough on this topic...
More things to think about, I like what you have done so far, but here are a couple problems
1. I spend 30 years searching through the rainforsts of one country looking for a plant which cures _(Fill in the Blank)_. I then extract the Active ingredient of said plant, and genetically modify the plant to produce more of said chemical. The sequence is in use in the wild, but I am using it in a new and novel way.
1a. Say I combine one DNA sequence from one animal and another, to do something new and novel, Do I have a right to profit from that novelness?
2. How does this work for non-complex organisms 2a. How about the genetic sequence to produce a subset of an organism, say just an organ or a tissue?
3. Just the nations? Under whose Law? What about nations which do not have those laws? Or don't respect another nations laws?
I like the idea's but they need to be thought out and discussed a bit more.
If it can't, then I don't care. I paid $500 for that ipod and I'm not going to pay even more for a silly Sony device. And the last Sony Device I bought was my Clie, wow you got to love their support for products.
In all seriousness, this needs to not happen. I can tell you all sorts of horror stories of my own regarding a rather well know domain name and not owning the.net version of it.
Slashdot Mirror
Do you have only one thing on your to do list?
Wow, actually it sounds like they are starting to target the correct people. Good.
IT's Anti-Microsoft, so expect to see it again around say, Thursday or Friday.
Ted
Repeat after me:
/= dumbed down /= lack of control
Usability
Usability
Usability is the process of making something usable, not making it unusable. Usability is the process of giving control, not taking it away. Usability is elegance in interface. Your uninformed attitude is exactly the problem computer programmers and users have these days. There is a process of making something useable, and from what it sounds like you are confused as to the desired outcome.
The sad thing about people with this attitude is that you would rather see a program with elegant code and an inelegant interface because you somehow think it's more powerful. We as coders should be sticklers on elegance in Code and in Interface.
This all ties into a more basic problem with computer programmers; communication. We need to learn how to communicate with the rest of the world. I don't know how many times I've been in a business meeting where I have had to deal with users, managers, and sales people and after the meeting they have told me how amazing it was to speak with someone who was technically trained, yet knew how to speak to a layman.
This is the exact same thing here, we expect the layman to learn our vocabulary and now you want them to learn our esoteric ways of using programs. We spend years learning how to break complex problems into small logical problems which can be solved. We solve these problems using complex logical diagrams and patterns. Now as it is our job to break these problems down into solvable problems, it is also our job to synthesize the results into a useable dataset. Part of that usable dataset is actionable results, as well as useable interfaces to access those results.
Please, for the sake of your job learn some usability. If you don't someone else will end up maintaining your code and getting your job, and they will be asked to make your code more useable. Heck, they might even be asked to make the code do something you already have it capable of doing, but no one can figure out how to make it do that. Have you ever heard of that problem (MS WORD).
I think this is the base reason right here:
For years we have had to have our noses shoved into Reals crap, and now that another company is having to deal with the same crap we have had to deal with all these years, we are empathizing with Apple. Also, becuase lots of us already own a bit of Apple in the form of an iPod, we feel like we are having to relive a nightmare of spyware and crappy software.
Which leads to another point. We know in the long term Real Software has sucked, who knows what it will look like a year from now, when Apple has added even more features to the iPod.
Ted Tschopp
Hmmm.... How many hoops is a lot? And what are they, I personally didn't find any hoops to jump through other than giving them a credit card number to charge to?
Ted Tschhopp
Hmmm... No tell me what does pass for honesty amoung politicians?
If you really think they are dishonest, have you ever voted for any of them? And if so, why would you vote for someone who you find dishonest.
Ted
I think that this is a good first step. To be honest, I don't really think that our country is run by a bunch of idiots, I bet they can see the problems they may face no matter which direction they decide to go, this is a good first step in raising the issue to a point for discussion.
But I probably shouldn't bring all that up, I know the comments people will leave will turn into a anti-political/anti-corporate bashing slugfest. But in the end, I hope people see this as the governments way of starting to listen.
Ted
But they are related and not totally independent. An increase in Market Share increases profit, all else being equal.
If Apple wants to increase Profit, it needs to increase Market Share. Margins are already too high for 90% of the market. Most of the reasons people will not purchase a Apple is Purchase Price or Market Share.
And the reason the price was cheaper was that the PC has a more open architecture, and people/companies were able to build cheaper, and yet even more cheaper accessories. (sound cards, Video Cards, etc). This made the market larger and larger. Which in turn made people want to develop for it. All this generated a nice feedback loop which continued to drive each other.
1. Open Market
2. Cheaper to Develop
3. Cheaper computers
4. More Customers
5. More Developers (Games)
6. Goto 2
Interestingly enough the patch automatically blocks Tivoli when you install it.
Ted Tschopp
Now, they just need to come up with a system so you can track your closest friends to ensure that you don't give it to someone who isn't a friend of yours.
Oh, wait, do I really want the government to have that information? I mean it would be wonderful, when they drag you in for being a terrorist, they can drag your friends in as well, or when one of your friends gets dragged in, so do you.
Ted Tschopp
Well, I guess I'm the target market. I listen to NPR, can't stand MTV, and goto StarBucks to use the Free* Internet. I hope the music is to my taste.
We shall have to see. But I doubt it.
Ted
*Free becuase my company pays for it.
Give them a couple old versions of Civ and Sim City.
Those are educational and addictive enough. And are not American centric.
Ted
Well, here is another way for the current administration to stimulate the job market. Hire an american born and bred DBA to go fix this now.
Heck, I bet you could even find one who would be willing to do it for real cheap.
Well, I like the idea of using nature as prior art. That's a solution which solves a lot of problems, and moves the debate to a place where it should be, which is how do you protect a novel idea, in order to protect someone's idea. I think I've said enough on this topic...
TedMore things to think about, I like what you have done so far, but here are a couple problems
1. I spend 30 years searching through the rainforsts of one country looking for a plant which cures _(Fill in the Blank)_. I then extract the Active ingredient of said plant, and genetically modify the plant to produce more of said chemical. The sequence is in use in the wild, but I am using it in a new and novel way.
1a. Say I combine one DNA sequence from one animal and another, to do something new and novel, Do I have a right to profit from that novelness?
2. How does this work for non-complex organisms
2a. How about the genetic sequence to produce a subset of an organism, say just an organ or a tissue?
3. Just the nations? Under whose Law? What about nations which do not have those laws? Or don't respect another nations laws?
I like the idea's but they need to be thought out and discussed a bit more.
To offer a song on my website via a Flash Ad or a DRM protected file as an ad for money. What's wrong with that?
Ted
oh, you mean in Redmond, WA?
I wonder if the software was written off shore?
How can I get it to work with my iPod?
If it can't, then I don't care. I paid $500 for that ipod and I'm not going to pay even more for a silly Sony device. And the last Sony Device I bought was my Clie, wow you got to love their support for products.
Ted Tschopp
p.s. It's called sarcasim.
I don't know... the same can be said for ILM. Why don't they use one of the other renderer tools out there instead of their own?
Ted
.... Crap... That's it.
.net version of it.
In all seriousness, this needs to not happen. I can tell you all sorts of horror stories of my own regarding a rather well know domain name and not owning the
Ted Tschopp
Critically speaking and looking at all the parts, I was a better movie. II was a worse movie, but it fit getter into the star wars universe.
NOOOOO! That's not true, that's impossible!