What are consequences (the lack of freedom on the USA)

Thomas Dodd ted at cypress.com
Mon Sep 29 15:41:17 UTC 2003


Stephen Smoogen wrote:
> On Fri, 26 Sep 2003, Thomas Dodd wrote:
> 
> 
>>>Unfortunately, the complexity that attracted you to Enlightenment is the
>>>same complexity that scares less technically inclined users away.  
>>
>>It's unfortunate that complexity scares people. But I don't buy it. They 
>>by very complex devices, that they have no idea about. Look at a car. 
>>They have some very complex systems. If you want you cna modify them to 
>>behave in different ways. But you can still use the default setup and 
>>just ignore all the complexity. The average driver doesn't even change 
>>the oil anymore, but the ability to change the internals of the engine 
>>is still there.
>>
> 
> 
> You need to do a month taking support phone calls. You will quickly 
> learn that cars and computers are very different to most people. People 

I'd love to hear some of the issues. Most non technical users I know, 
wouldn't touch the settings, or dare tinker. So whatever the default is, 
they stick with. Look how many Windoze user change the default install 
directory for an app, or rearrange the "Start" menu.

> get in cars and only really care about the speedometer, the gas gauge 
> and the red lights, the rest of the eye candy that designers put in they 
> ignore. On computers they dont know what parts are the important ones 
> and so they dont ignore any of the eye candy and get very confused and 
> angry.

> You didnt take RH support phone calls did you? You only see what people 
> post to mailing lists and those people are usually technically in the 

Again, transcripts of some calls would be interesting.

> an editor up. Until there are universal computer licenses required 
> before you can drive the 'Information SuperHighway', I doubt that will 

That's the first sensible idea I've heard yet :)

	-Thomas





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