Comments on: Universal Computer Users http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 22 May 2013 02:15:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: pKp http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html#comment-1559249 pKp Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:06:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=188006#comment-1559249 My first computer was a Windows 98 PC (blech) and I still could identify with the "universal user" as descibed in the text. I've done a fair bit of Linux'ing a few years ago, though. My first computer was a Windows 98 PC (blech) and I still could identify with the “universal user” as descibed in the text. I’ve done a fair bit of Linux’ing a few years ago, though.

]]> By: GersonOnTheT http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html#comment-1559237 GersonOnTheT Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:16:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=188006#comment-1559237 It's important not to confuse these people with computer users who simply aren't confident enough to learn new software. I mean, many people who "write an article in their e-mail client, layout their business card in Excel" might simply have not mastered a word processor or a layout program, so they're not being smart and resourceful. They're being timid and sticking with what they know, bending the one or two tools they're comfortable with in awkward ways to accomplish tasks better performed with other software. It’s important not to confuse these people with computer users who simply aren’t confident enough to learn new software. I mean, many people who “write an article in their e-mail client, layout their business card in Excel” might simply have not mastered a word processor or a layout program, so they’re not being smart and resourceful. They’re being timid and sticking with what they know, bending the one or two tools they’re comfortable with in awkward ways to accomplish tasks better performed with other software.

]]> By: ocker3 http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html#comment-1559097 ocker3 Thu, 18 Oct 2012 05:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=188006#comment-1559097 You might be surpised to learn that the infinitely trained staff don't remember everything they've ever learned. I've had people who taught me my job years ago ask me to do stuff they taught me how to do because in their current role they don't do it anymore and have forgotten how You might be surpised to learn that the infinitely trained staff don’t remember everything they’ve ever learned. I’ve had people who taught me my job years ago ask me to do stuff they taught me how to do because in their current role they don’t do it anymore and have forgotten how

]]> By: ldobe http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html#comment-1558940 ldobe Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=188006#comment-1558940 Whenever I see the phrase "user friendly" I automatically think: "This means that it will let me do no more than six things. And only in the exact way the designers intended." In my experience, user friendly is a shallow excuse for not offering features useful to most people, and treating the user as if they're so stupid they're at risk of drowning in a rain storm Whenever I see the phrase “user friendly” I automatically think: “This means that it will let me do no more than six things. And only in the exact way the designers intended.”

In my experience, user friendly is a shallow excuse for not offering features useful to most people, and treating the user as if they’re so stupid they’re at risk of drowning in a rain storm

]]> By: Ladyfingers http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html#comment-1558908 Ladyfingers Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=188006#comment-1558908 I actually wonder how many of us "Universals" were raised with command line interfaces. I think being forced to understand basic computing at that level of abstraction is essential to confidence with a GUI. It's also very handy to understand the basics behind things like bitmaps, vectors, waveforms and whatnot, as well as their analogue equivalents. I never think of computing in terms of learning controls by rote but rather diving in headfirst and trying to think how a machine would achieve what I have in mind. The downside of this is that I find "user friendly" stuff irritating most of the time, because it usually assumes too much on my behalf. I actually wonder how many of us “Universals” were raised with command line interfaces. I think being forced to understand basic computing at that level of abstraction is essential to confidence with a GUI.

It’s also very handy to understand the basics behind things like bitmaps, vectors,
waveforms and whatnot, as well as their analogue equivalents.

I never think of computing in terms of learning controls by rote but rather diving in headfirst and trying to think how a machine would achieve what I have in mind. The downside of this is that I find “user friendly” stuff irritating most of the time, because it usually assumes too much on my behalf.

]]> By: Ladyfingers http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html#comment-1558895 Ladyfingers Wed, 17 Oct 2012 22:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=188006#comment-1558895 Although I'm "officially" a writer and designer, I've routinely worked as a sort of digital dogsbody/unofficial sysadmin in a a number of IT firms, and it often amazed me how people infinitely more trained than me would request that I solve some oddball problem for them. The single biggest advantage I seem to have over most users is the ability to do abstruse find/replace work and use operators in search engines. Although I’m “officially” a writer and designer, I’ve routinely worked as a sort of digital dogsbody/unofficial sysadmin in a a number of IT firms, and it often amazed me how people infinitely more trained than me would request that I solve some oddball problem for them. The single biggest advantage I seem to have over most users is the ability to do abstruse find/replace work and use operators in search engines.

]]> By: chenille http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html#comment-1558890 chenille Wed, 17 Oct 2012 22:44:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=188006#comment-1558890 Jack Dorsey's proposal seems misleading. There are many programs and devices used by many people that aren't sellers, buyers, or what you would normally consider a customer at all. Jack Dorsey’s proposal seems misleading. There are many programs and devices used by many people that aren’t sellers, buyers, or what you would normally consider a customer at all.

]]> By: schoen http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html#comment-1558862 schoen Wed, 17 Oct 2012 22:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=188006#comment-1558862 I loved this essay. It's funny to see it on the same day as Jack Dorsey's argument in precisely the opposite direction (that technology companies and developers should entirely *stop* referring to "users"): http://jacks.tumblr.com/post/33785796042/lets-reconsider-our-users I loved this essay.

It’s funny to see it on the same day as Jack Dorsey’s argument in precisely the opposite direction (that technology companies and developers should entirely *stop* referring to “users”):

http://jacks.tumblr.com/post/33785796042/lets-reconsider-our-users

]]> By: schrutzki http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html#comment-1558810 schrutzki Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=188006#comment-1558810 "Maybe these Users could more accurately be called Universal Users or Turing Complete Users, as a reference to the Universal Machine, also known as Universal Turing Machine — Alan Turing’s conception of a computer that can solve any logical task given enough time and memory." That is wrong. Users are Universal Turing Machines that also can (and will) solve illogical tasks. (Exam preparation: For this question it is not necessary to be a User that has been defined as a device with the properties of being human, two feeted, featherless, with broad nails...) “Maybe these Users could more accurately be called Universal Users or Turing Complete Users, as a reference to the Universal Machine, also known as Universal Turing Machine — Alan Turing’s conception of a computer that can solve any logical task given enough time and memory.”

That is wrong.

Users are Universal Turing Machines that also can (and will) solve illogical tasks.

(Exam preparation: For this question it is not necessary to be a User that has been defined as a device with the properties of being human, two feeted, featherless, with broad nails…)

]]> By: elix http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html#comment-1558774 elix Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=188006#comment-1558774 I'm just wondering how someone can tweet without Twitter, since... the verb is tied to 140-character microblogging on a specific platform. But if the author is saying that people have ways of blogging/microblogging or keeping a running status feed that don't require Twitter.com, yes, of course. It just seems like a broken tautology to say that you can tweet without twitter. I’m just wondering how someone can tweet without Twitter, since… the verb is tied to 140-character microblogging on a specific platform.

But if the author is saying that people have ways of blogging/microblogging or keeping a running status feed that don’t require Twitter.com, yes, of course. It just seems like a broken tautology to say that you can tweet without twitter.

]]> By: imag http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html#comment-1558679 imag Wed, 17 Oct 2012 18:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=188006#comment-1558679 It was a really interesting distinction for me. I am not really a coder (a bit of Javascript and HTML don't count in my book), but I am very much a universal user. Some of the app propagation drives me nuts. I do see the value in uniform interfaces for similar tasks, and I think that's what we see. Millions of people have blogs, so blog apps and aggregators ultimately make sense. Millions of people want to post similar kinds of life updates, so we get a variety of social media apps which make it really easy to do commonly useful things. I think these apps take a lot of creativity and invention out of people's (and users') lives, but they also allow people to focus more on the content rather than the form. Ultimately, I liked the article for the perspective it provided, and I don't need a damned button to say it. It was a really interesting distinction for me. I am not really a coder (a bit of Javascript and HTML don’t count in my book), but I am very much a universal user. Some of the app propagation drives me nuts.

I do see the value in uniform interfaces for similar tasks, and I think that’s what we see. Millions of people have blogs, so blog apps and aggregators ultimately make sense. Millions of people want to post similar kinds of life updates, so we get a variety of social media apps which make it really easy to do commonly useful things. I think these apps take a lot of creativity and invention out of people’s (and users’) lives, but they also allow people to focus more on the content rather than the form.

Ultimately, I liked the article for the perspective it provided, and I don’t need a damned button to say it.

]]> By: Neural Kernel http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html#comment-1558638 Neural Kernel Wed, 17 Oct 2012 17:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=188006#comment-1558638 Sounds like a garden variety Hacker to me, in the proper and original sense of the word :) I'm not giving up that word... I'm a Hacker, dammit! I'm not a developer, I'm not an engineer, I'm not even a technician... but I can hold my head up high and say with pride that I can make my computer do what I want it to because I'm a hacker! :) Sounds like a garden variety Hacker to me, in the proper and original sense of the word :) I’m not giving up that word… I’m a Hacker, dammit! I’m not a developer, I’m not an engineer, I’m not even a technician… but I can hold my head up high and say with pride that I can make my computer do what I want it to because I’m a hacker! :)

]]> By: Nathan Hornby http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html#comment-1558634 Nathan Hornby Wed, 17 Oct 2012 17:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=188006#comment-1558634 As a UX'er myself I often have to remind people that users can be incredibly resourceful - these are some great examples.  That doesn't mean of course that greasing the wheels doesn't come with benefits, especially in the commercial sector. As a UX’er myself I often have to remind people that users can be incredibly resourceful – these are some great examples.  That doesn’t mean of course that greasing the wheels doesn’t come with benefits, especially in the commercial sector.

]]> By: Justin Forposting http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html#comment-1558631 Justin Forposting Wed, 17 Oct 2012 17:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=188006#comment-1558631 another way to describe these users are those that find "app-based computing" restrictive and unnecessary. another way to describe these users are those that find “app-based computing” restrictive and unnecessary.

]]> By: Over the River http://boingboing.net/2012/10/17/universal-computer-users.html#comment-1558607 Over the River Wed, 17 Oct 2012 17:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=188006#comment-1558607 My father always typed his correspondence using "copy con". When I got mail from him I could almost hear the Ctrl + Z at the end. My father always typed his correspondence using “copy con”. When I got mail from him I could almost hear the Ctrl + Z at the end.

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