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

lists_mythtv_users lists_mythtv_users at bigpizza.co.uk
Wed Aug 6 15:16:53 UTC 2008


Josh wrote:
>
>
> On Aug 6, 2008, at 11:02 AM, lists_mythtv_users <lists_mythtv_users at bigpizza.co.uk 
>  > wrote:
>
>   
>> Michael T. Dean wrote:
>>     
>>> On 08/04/2008 06:21 PM, Matt S. wrote:
>>>
>>>       
>>>> On Mon, Aug 4, 2008 at 12:15 PM, Brian Wood wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>         
>>>>> Param Singh 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
>>>>>>
>>>>>> * Weak incentives for usability.
>>>>>> * Few good designers.
>>>>>> * Design suggestions often aren't invited or welcomed.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>             
>>>>> Well those first 3 certainly do not apply to the MythTV project.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>           
>>>> You are joking right?  These first 3 defintely apply to myth and if
>>>> you don't think that, then that's exactly the kind of behavior that
>>>> this article is pointing out.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>         
>>> ...
>>>
>>>       
>>>> *Usability - could be WAY better.  I would never want to deploy myth
>>>> to someone who wasn't technical like me.  However, I like it,  
>>>> because
>>>> I am a power user.  But, usability has never been a primary focus of
>>>> the project, it's always been secondary to functionality.  In  
>>>> fact, go
>>>> search the archives and you'll get nearly 500+ emails on usability:
>>>> http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/engine?list=mythtv&do=search_results&search_forum=forum_1&search_string=usability&search_type=AND
>>>> not to mention I remember a thread from a couple years ago where
>>>> someoen was offering to do usability testing on myth because they  
>>>> felt
>>>> usability sucked, but it wasn't really welcomed - I think it might
>>>> have been this thread:
>>>> http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/158724?search_string=usability%20test;#158724
>>>> or this great example:
>>>> http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/172094?search_string=usability%20assessment;#172094
>>>> (couldn't find the whole thread on Gossamer).
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>         
>>> OK.  My view of MythTV (based on what I've seen on the lists) shows  
>>> that
>>> the biggest usability problem with MythTV is the sheer number of  
>>> options
>>> that users must configure appropriately when first setting up their
>>> system.  That's also the reason for "competitors" (are we really
>>> competing with anyone?) use "mythtv is a lot of work" as a marketing
>>> tool (as pointed out by the OP in a follow-up at
>>> http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/users/344625#344625 ).
>>>
>>> So, a while ago, as part of the Google Summer of Code, a very zealous
>>> student decided to help out with usability by making it easier to  
>>> setup
>>> and configure (
>>> http://mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/SoC2006#Settings_Rework.2FEnhancements
>>> ).  So, he posted a message to the -dev list with his proposed  
>>> changes (
>>> http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/dev/207059#207059 )  
>>> and all
>>> sorts of users came out of the woodwork to tell him exactly why all  
>>> the
>>> /completely useless/ settings he was proposing to remove needed to  
>>> stay
>>> (read the whole thread to see--my favorite was the "Time offset for
>>> thumbnail preview images," which some clueless users still think is  
>>> useful).
>>>
>>> So, what happened?  The poor kid basically didn't have a chance at
>>> finishing the project because we were forced to:
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>>>> * Placating people with options. - Seriously, do I even need to  
>>>> point
>>>> out the hundreds of discussions on simplifying settings?  Also, what
>>>> about the "hidden" options that are only available by directly  
>>>> editing
>>>> the database.
>>>>
>>>>         
>>>       
>> Sounds like guided procedure could help.  Keep all the options,  
>> default
>> to having some of them hidden (unless the user chooses to switch on  
>> some
>> sort of expert mode) and have a "Help me setup" guided procedure that
>> asks as few questions as possible with the goal of creating a working
>> system using sensible defaults.
>>
>> Steve.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> mythtv-users mailing list
>> mythtv-users at mythtv.org
>> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
>>     
>
> Maybe a wizard that uses an animated paperclip to make itmore user  
> friendly would be in order.
>   
How very droll.


More information about the mythtv-users mailing list