🚀 go-pugleaf

The notion that it is "human factors" that are needed to make programs
"user-friendly" is a dangerous fallacy perpetrated by human factors "experts"
in the interests of job security.  The Mac gives us many examples of programs
which follow the user interface guidelines to the letter but are horrible
programs to actually use because not enough thought went into structuring 
the application in the first place.  While it could be argued that the Mac UI
guidelines are slightly less than the pinnacle of human factors thaey aren't
too far short.  

What is really needed is more understanding of the problems
the computer is being used to model, understanding that only the eventual
users of a system (the people with the problem, remember them?) have.  I was
graphically reminded of this when I consulted on a project which the 
software engineers had nearly complexified into extinction.  We went to
the application engineers, the ones who knew about the problem the system
was trying to solve, and had them design the interface.  The software
engineers had to implement the system, though, and nearly ruined it again.

Put me down for one vote against "human factors" and one vote for "user
factors".

Kent Beck
Apple Computer, Inc.
20525 Mariani, MS 27E
Cupertino, CA 95014

uucp: kentb@apple.UUCP
csnet: kentb@apple.csnet

408/973-6027

-- 
Kent Beck
Apple Computer, Inc.
20525 Mariani, MS 27E
Cupertino, CA 95014

uucp: kentb@apple.UUCP
csnet: kentb@apple.csnet

408/973-6027