Jump to content

You Are Not the Boss of Me


Recommended Posts

I wanted to raise this as an issue primarily with commercial business software. I have completely lost track of the number of times I've been obliged to spend several hours learning how to turn OFF a feature the software programmers decided I'd find helpful.

 

I've been prompted today by this occurring in the latest release of Open Office. I was using the suite to fill out some government forms and the date function is set to work in yyyy, rather than the way the program thinks all right thinking people should which is simply 'yy. It took me fully an hour to establish how to do ithis in the new release*.

 

My point is _WHY_ in the name of all that is sweet and good and holy in this imperfect universe am I forced to go through turning off every individual feature. I am not an infant. I work. I don't need someone to cut up my food. I don't need help going to the toilet. AND I DON'T NEED HELP TYPING OUT MY GOKKING DOCUMENTS. I type fething thousands of words a day and have done for years. If I want something done I will do it when I need it and not before.

 

Now is that really so hard to understand?

 

 

 

*select the whole cell, right click, and turn off 'recognise number'

Edited by Walsingham

"It wasn't lies. It was just... bull****"."

             -Elwood Blues

 

tarna's dead; processing... complete. Disappointed by Universe. RIP Hades/Sand/etc. Here's hoping your next alt has a harp.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eh, not usually programmers making that call.

Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eh, not usually programmers making that call.

 

Then by all means tell me who is behind it and I will shove several sharpened pencils up their fat rear end. Then claim that this was me attempting to be helpful, and that if they didn't want pencils up the arse then they should have said so in advance.

Edited by Walsingham

"It wasn't lies. It was just... bull****"."

             -Elwood Blues

 

tarna's dead; processing... complete. Disappointed by Universe. RIP Hades/Sand/etc. Here's hoping your next alt has a harp.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When you let programmers design interfaces, you get confusing garbage only that programmer knows how to use. In the computer animation bussiness, these programmers have driven countless good men insane with frustration.

 

programmer did it: http://www.ose.tuxfamily.org/linux/app/large/blender1.jpg

 

reasonable person did it: http://images.gamedev.net/features/reviews...o-interface.jpg

 

 

..Im not even going to mention "that horrible sculpting app" where even a simple thing like opening a file requires you to look up a tutorial.

Edited by Kaftan Barlast

DISCLAIMER: Do not take what I write seriously unless it is clearly and in no uncertain terms, declared by me to be meant in a serious and non-humoristic manner. If there is no clear indication, asume the post is written in jest. This notification is meant very seriously and its purpouse is to avoid misunderstandings and the consequences thereof. Furthermore; I can not be held accountable for anything I write on these forums since the idea of taking serious responsability for my unserious actions, is an oxymoron in itself.

 

Important: as the following sentence contains many naughty words I warn you not to read it under any circumstances; botty, knickers, wee, erogenous zone, psychiatrist, clitoris, stockings, bosom, poetry reading, dentist, fellatio and the department of agriculture.

 

"I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. "

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Heh, programmers are quite reasonable people. Usually that kind of thing is handled by a designer or some sort of usability expert, in an old company of mine that was a developer who had an arts background or something. Never design what you'll be implementing if it's user facing, I've learned, another pair of eyes is always better.

Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wanted to raise this as an issue primarily with commercial business software. I have completely lost track of the number of times I've been obliged to spend several hours learning how to turn OFF a feature the software programmers decided I'd find helpful.

 

I've been prompted today by this occurring in the latest release of Open Office. I was using the suite to fill out some government forms and the date function is set to work in yyyy, rather than the way the program thinks all right thinking people should which is simply 'yy. It took me fully an hour to establish how to do ithis in the new release*.

 

My point is _WHY_ in the name of all that is sweet and good and holy in this imperfect universe am I forced to go through turning off every individual feature. I am not an infant. I work. I don't need someone to cut up my food. I don't need help going to the toilet. AND I DON'T NEED HELP TYPING OUT MY GOKKING DOCUMENTS. I type fething thousands of words a day and have done for years. If I want something done I will do it when I need it and not before.

 

Now is that really so hard to understand?

 

 

 

*select the whole cell, right click, and turn off 'recognise number'

 

 

Why do you think most games nowadays suck so much? They are made accessible even for average lobotomized monkeys with brain damage... Same is it with other products, they want to sell as much as possible, so they are lowering the "complexity" of everything, up to the point that it becomes annoying for most of the normal users >_<

Sent from my Stone Tablet, using Chisel-a-Talk 2000BC.

My youtube channel: MamoulianFH
Latest Let's Play Tales of Arise (completed)
Latest Bossfight Compilation Dark Souls Remastered - New Game (completed)

Let's Play/AAR Europa Universalis 1: Austria Grand Campaign (completed)
Let's Play/AAR Europa Universalis 2: Xhosa Grand Campaign (completed)
My PS Platinums and 100% - 29 games so far (my PSN profile)

 

 

1) God of War III - PS3 - 24+ hours

2) Final Fantasy XIII - PS3 - 130+ hours

3) White Knight Chronicles International Edition - PS3 - 525+ hours

4) Hyperdimension Neptunia - PS3 - 80+ hours

5) Final Fantasy XIII-2 - PS3 - 200+ hours

6) Tales of Xillia - PS3 - 135+ hours

7) Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 - PS3 - 152+ hours

8.) Grand Turismo 6 - PS3 - 81+ hours (including Senna Master DLC)

9) Demon's Souls - PS3 - 197+ hours

10) Tales of Graces f - PS3 - 337+ hours

11) Star Ocean: The Last Hope International - PS3 - 750+ hours

12) Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII - PS3 - 127+ hours

13) Soulcalibur V - PS3 - 73+ hours

14) Gran Turismo 5 - PS3 - 600+ hours

15) Tales of Xillia 2 - PS3 - 302+ hours

16) Mortal Kombat XL - PS4 - 95+ hours

17) Project CARS Game of the Year Edition - PS4 - 120+ hours

18) Dark Souls - PS3 - 197+ hours

19) Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory - PS3 - 238+ hours

20) Final Fantasy Type-0 - PS4 - 58+ hours

21) Journey - PS4 - 9+ hours

22) Dark Souls II - PS3 - 210+ hours

23) Fairy Fencer F - PS3 - 215+ hours

24) Megadimension Neptunia VII - PS4 - 160 hours

25) Super Neptunia RPG - PS4 - 44+ hours

26) Journey - PS3 - 22+ hours

27) Final Fantasy XV - PS4 - 263+ hours (including all DLCs)

28) Tales of Arise - PS4 - 111+ hours

29) Dark Souls: Remastered - PS4 - 121+ hours

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just want to pitch in and say that games are the way they are today, for good or bad because; with the tech available today, making a game is a massive undertaking requiring up towards a hundred people and 10+ million dollars for production alone. With that kind of money at stake, you cant afford to make a niche game (or so the executives think).

 

And if you DO make a niche game with the tiny budget youll be able to scrounge up, the odds are that most people will just go "Why should I pay

DISCLAIMER: Do not take what I write seriously unless it is clearly and in no uncertain terms, declared by me to be meant in a serious and non-humoristic manner. If there is no clear indication, asume the post is written in jest. This notification is meant very seriously and its purpouse is to avoid misunderstandings and the consequences thereof. Furthermore; I can not be held accountable for anything I write on these forums since the idea of taking serious responsability for my unserious actions, is an oxymoron in itself.

 

Important: as the following sentence contains many naughty words I warn you not to read it under any circumstances; botty, knickers, wee, erogenous zone, psychiatrist, clitoris, stockings, bosom, poetry reading, dentist, fellatio and the department of agriculture.

 

"I suppose outright stupidity and complete lack of taste could also be considered points of view. "

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just want to pitch in and say that games are the way they are today, for good or bad because; with the tech available today, making a game is a massive undertaking requiring up towards a hundred people and 10+ million dollars for production alone. With that kind of money at stake, you cant afford to make a niche game (or so the executives think).

 

And if you DO make a niche game with the tiny budget youll be able to scrounge up, the odds are that most people will just go "Why should I pay

Edited by Mamoulian War

Sent from my Stone Tablet, using Chisel-a-Talk 2000BC.

My youtube channel: MamoulianFH
Latest Let's Play Tales of Arise (completed)
Latest Bossfight Compilation Dark Souls Remastered - New Game (completed)

Let's Play/AAR Europa Universalis 1: Austria Grand Campaign (completed)
Let's Play/AAR Europa Universalis 2: Xhosa Grand Campaign (completed)
My PS Platinums and 100% - 29 games so far (my PSN profile)

 

 

1) God of War III - PS3 - 24+ hours

2) Final Fantasy XIII - PS3 - 130+ hours

3) White Knight Chronicles International Edition - PS3 - 525+ hours

4) Hyperdimension Neptunia - PS3 - 80+ hours

5) Final Fantasy XIII-2 - PS3 - 200+ hours

6) Tales of Xillia - PS3 - 135+ hours

7) Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 - PS3 - 152+ hours

8.) Grand Turismo 6 - PS3 - 81+ hours (including Senna Master DLC)

9) Demon's Souls - PS3 - 197+ hours

10) Tales of Graces f - PS3 - 337+ hours

11) Star Ocean: The Last Hope International - PS3 - 750+ hours

12) Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII - PS3 - 127+ hours

13) Soulcalibur V - PS3 - 73+ hours

14) Gran Turismo 5 - PS3 - 600+ hours

15) Tales of Xillia 2 - PS3 - 302+ hours

16) Mortal Kombat XL - PS4 - 95+ hours

17) Project CARS Game of the Year Edition - PS4 - 120+ hours

18) Dark Souls - PS3 - 197+ hours

19) Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory - PS3 - 238+ hours

20) Final Fantasy Type-0 - PS4 - 58+ hours

21) Journey - PS4 - 9+ hours

22) Dark Souls II - PS3 - 210+ hours

23) Fairy Fencer F - PS3 - 215+ hours

24) Megadimension Neptunia VII - PS4 - 160 hours

25) Super Neptunia RPG - PS4 - 44+ hours

26) Journey - PS3 - 22+ hours

27) Final Fantasy XV - PS4 - 263+ hours (including all DLCs)

28) Tales of Arise - PS4 - 111+ hours

29) Dark Souls: Remastered - PS4 - 121+ hours

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Users... always whinging :blush:

“He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, I find this to be true. The developers of software don't realize that we don't WANT to have something automatically complete what we're trying to do, it's like that stupid paper clip in Word, except that to shut it off you have to look up a tutorial that tells you to do a Samoan rain dance on the third day of the 25th month of the year of the rat.

 

Also, things have a tendancy to not get marked easily, like when you're digging through a skillion menus to find something that should be REALLY FLIPPIN EASY to change because of adventure game level "oh, this should go with this".

Victor of the 5 year fan fic competition!

 

Kevin Butler will awesome your face off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, I find this to be true. The developers of software don't realize that we don't WANT to have something automatically complete what we're trying to do, it's like that stupid paper clip in Word, except that to shut it off you have to look up a tutorial that tells you to do a Samoan rain dance on the third day of the 25th month of the year of the rat.

 

Also, things have a tendancy to not get marked easily, like when you're digging through a skillion menus to find something that should be REALLY FLIPPIN EASY to change because of adventure game level "oh, this should go with this".

The "program curve" is sadly set by the lowest on the scale. This is a program that is marketed to millions and has to be accessible to them, I don't know if there are high end word processors that avoid pampering but it seems that is something that should be on your radar.

I'd say the answer to that question is kind of like the answer to "who's the sucker in this poker game?"*

 

*If you can't tell, it's you. ;)

village_idiot.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know if there are high end word processors that avoid pampering but it seems that is something that should be on your radar.

vim

 

Although they are getting a bit on "soft" side. I've heard you can even get a gui version now.

“He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein

Link to comment
Share on other sites

vim's a word processor now ?

Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra

Link to comment
Share on other sites

vim's a word processor now ?

How do you explain TeX and LaTeX to the unwashed masses?

 

That is the only "true" word processing system I know (and used for years). Most people want something they can watch in colour and go Ooh and Ahh :p

“He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Easy, just say you write code that Word does for them automatically. Or something. Also you can make math formulae on screen easily, I think.

 

You are hardcore though, sir. :p

Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like Yatzhee isn't the only angry brit :p

 

It's what always happens when a Britisher is exposed to the warm air of our colonies for any length of time.

"It wasn't lies. It was just... bull****"."

             -Elwood Blues

 

tarna's dead; processing... complete. Disappointed by Universe. RIP Hades/Sand/etc. Here's hoping your next alt has a harp.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...