[mythtv-users] Why Free Software has poor usability ?

Nate Bargmann n0nb at n0nb.us
Tue Aug 5 11:17:56 UTC 2008


* Tom Dexter <digitalaudiorock at gmail.com> [2008 Aug 04 12:29 -0500]:
> On Mon, Aug 4, 2008 at 12:23 PM, Russ Dill <russ.dill at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Mon, Aug 4, 2008 at 9:11 AM, Param Singh <mithu.singh at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Interesting article :: Why Free Software has poor usability, and how
> >> to improve it
> >> ============================================================
> >> Link :: http://mpt.net.nz/archive/2008/08/01/free-software-usability
> >> ============================================================
> >>
> >> Major Points in the article
> >>
> >
> > Have you never worked on commercial software? I think all of these
> > could apply to any commercial software I worked on, plus more.
> >
> 
> Amen to that.  Anyone who gripes about "usability" specifically in
> regard to free software has obviously never had to use Lotus
> Notes...:D (anyone who has just got a cold chill...).

Hear!  Hear!  For as many iterations as my company has out us through
with Notes, it just doesn't seem to improve.  Oh, some bits get more
shiny, but it's fiercely beholden to the idea of top posting.  A real
joy is getting a message that has been forwarded several times where
each forwarder has added their comments at the top.  I've gotten used
to going to the bottom and rtying to read the things from the bottom
up.  I think it's the ultimate PHB program designed by PHBs as each PHB
adds their comment at the top trumping all others before.

> In my career I've often been the pessimist pointing out the
> nightmarish future of such decisions to no avail, only to be proven
> horrifyingly correct later on.

My job is mostly hardware in telecom and, yes, I can relate.

- Nate >>

-- 

"The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all
possible worlds.  The pessimist fears this is true."

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