Some thoughts on the cult of obtuseness

[cmdr_zoom]

Having the patience, perversity, and/or borderline autism to master an incomplete or poorly-designed user interface does not in any significant way make one more cool, intelligent, or "elite" than a hypothetical average person. Elevating such masochism to a virtue reflects poorly on those who do so, suggesting that they are desperate for something they can claim to make them feel superior or even merely adequate in their accomplishments.

It may be that the programmer has more important things to do at this moment than produce a polished, intuitive and fully documented interface, or has no talent for making one himself; regardless of the reason, the fact remains that a game or other software application is not truly complete until a user is able to spend more time doing useful work than in wrestling with the interface in order to translate his or her will into input that the program understands.

Equal to the challenge and accomplishment of creating a fantastically complex system is creating a means for the user to control that system, to whatever level of detail they desire, with ease and confidence. To elevate one over the other reveals a misunderstanding of what is involved in both.

When I read posts by people smugly asserting that not everyone deserves to play a game or use an OS, I find myself thinking of those who just as righteously assert that many or even most are not worthy to enter Paradise. I also reflect on how many of these very "intelligent" people are probably unable to dress themselves fashionably or present themselves well in ordinary social situations. Is it unfair of me to suggest that in some cases, incompetence in one arena may lead to undue focus on others as a measure of personal worth?

Comments

[brianrogers.livejournal.com]

I remember hearing very similar arguments way back in 1989 when AD&D2E came out - the new rulebook sucked not because it had different rules, but because it had organization and a working index. If someone wasn't willing to go to the effort to memorize where everything was in the rulebooks they didn't deserve to play!

I view that attitude with the same contempt now as I did then.

[cmdr-zoom.livejournal.com]

Another fine example, thank you.

[gwyd.livejournal.com]

*Cheers!*

Interfaces

[meriwynn.livejournal.com]

As someone who develops interfaces for a living, I have to say "here here!" I absolutely hate it when I can't figure out how to get into someone's internet site.