Software is a tool. Like a hammer, a drill, or even a keyboard. As one uses it again and again it becomes second nature. Take QWERTY keys, I still search and peck at them, but I kind of know the layout. Take a surgeon, as a surgeon operates with say and extractor the movement and pressure required is second nature, it allows precision and speed.
Now software folks seem oblivious to their product being a tool. They somehow think they can say just rearrange the letters on the keyboard. Microsoft is classic, a new Windows OS moves the keys about in how it operates. Each month we get some unwanted change. Recently Mozilla made a change to Thunderbird, it mail system. For decades it was great. Then some SW person decided to shift the keys about. Nothing works as it did before. All I want is to read and send email.
We see the same in autos. The SW now resides in a large TV screen blocking our view of the road and requiring a massive amount o confusing manipulation. Just try changing a radio station or a setting of temperature.
Human factors is not something a SW person deals with. A recent example is the parking system at my local train station, a "joint" effort with the town and a SW company. Municipal workers are not know for their support of their taxpayers. So the combination resulted in what in my opinion a deceptive advertising, namely signage which represented in my opinion a deceptive fact and a SW system that in a similar fashion assumed that one could ascertain all the steps required without any direction.
Another example is my iRobot. There is now instruction manual. Got a problem, then just hunt and peck on you smart phone and pray you can find a solution.
Now we will be adding "AI". I would hazard to guess that this with the rest of SW will just make doing anything unbearable!
Posts
