Why Is Easy To Use Hard To Do?

from the the-guru-effect dept

MSNBC is reprinting a Newsweek column suggesting that the reason we so rarely get easy to use product is that doing so would put the local geek guru out of business. Thus, the guru who designs a product knows that if it's completely easy to use - then there won't be the need for that guru to explain how it works any more. This seems like something of a stretch. I'm not sure that most of the "gurus" are thinking that far ahead. It makes it seem more like a conspiracy. In fact, many of the folks who end up as such "gurus" would probably prefer that they not get bothered to come fix the printer every time it breaks, or to help set up the boss's home network, or whatever other guru-necessary project comes up.
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  1. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Apr 2002 @ 8:57pm

    Slow news day

    Computers are still hard to use -- run a story. Those damn geeks that program them must be responsible. Slow news day. Yawn.

    Time for the "B" ship to take off. Communications majors and grandmas-on-AOL, all aboard.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 4 Apr 2002 @ 10:24am

    Man, stupidity annoys the hell out of me...

    Man, this pissed me off so much I actually took 10 minutes to send of a letting telling him he was a moron (in nicer terms than that).
    Jesus, I swear, some people have no clue.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    alternatives(), 4 Apr 2002 @ 3:38pm

    That's the Microsoft theory.

    The Mac camp has been pushing that theory for years, that Microsoft techies keep pushing M$ software as job insurance.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    The Misanthrope, 4 Apr 2002 @ 3:51pm

    Thats MS-NBC

    Let's don't forget who the Big Guru is behind MSNBC (with ties to Newsweek)...

    link to this | view in thread ]


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