Re: The target user and consequences

[Soren Harward <soren cinternet net>]

Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like a direct response to what you
wrote.  Only an extension; we were both thinking of the same thing, just
along different lines.

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                Soren Harward               | Windows 95/98 DOES come
 Internet Information Systems Administrator | with a tool to recover
               Cinternet, Inc.              | from Registry
 Voice: 891-1228        soren@cinternet.net | corruption.
      http://www.cinternet.net/~soren/      | It's called 'FDISK'.
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On Fri, 7 Aug 1998, JR Tipton wrote:

>
>This *is* a good analogy, but I think you're reading it slightly
>differently than I intended it.
>
>What I am saying is this: she walks in, finds the bowls (because she knows
>the recipe, knows the process, and just needs the tools) etc, and then
>starts doing what she knows best.  The point of the analogy is that my
>kitchen did not dictate to her how to make a cake but instead had
>different locations for the tools (and I think it was a logical layout).
>
>The recipe stayed the same, the process stayed the same.  The interface is
>what changed.
>
>The computer should do none other than provide the tools.  Accounts
>already know how to "account", graphic artists already know how to draw.
>The computer should not dictate to them how they do it but instead leave
>self-explanatory (and documented as well) tools lying about for the person
>to use.
>
>Yes, it is that simple.
>
>> transition doesn't NEED to be seamless, it just needs to be logical and
>> consistent.  So what if Windows decides to put its "quit" in the "file"
>> menu and Windows users expect it to be there?  We don't have to do it
>> because it's OUR interface.  WE are designing it.  Please, guys, remember
>> this whenever you are tempted to say "Well, it's been done this way
>> before" (which yes, I have on occasion said).
>
>I did not intend to say, "Let's do it the Windows way!" or anything of the
>sort... I'm not sure if you're implying that I did, but I just wanted to
>set the record straight.
>
>william r. tipton
>