Author: Sune Fischer
Date: 02:03:47 04/07/04
Go up one level in this thread
On April 07, 2004 at 02:34:57, Tony Werten wrote: >On April 06, 2004 at 17:07:42, Sune Fischer wrote: > >>>>Editing one line in the winboard ini-file is not rocket science, not even for >>>>techno-phobes I think. >>> >>>It's just something 99.9% of the customers is not capable of doing. >> >>You're just making up numbers, the number is distorted because you never hear >>complaints from those who succeed. >> >>>First of all they have *no clue* that they must modify it. >> >>It is possible they have no clue, but then they won't have much use for a chess >>engine either. It goes hand in hand at some level. >> >>>>Arena can scan your harddrive for available engines, so all you have to do is >>>>download them and unzip them. >>> >>>You still must find that button to do it and know it has that capability or it >>>won't succeed. >> >>Of course, and if they can't they have much bigger problems anyway, like how to >>find the "power on" switch :) >> >>Seriously. >>You are expecting programmers to design software for users >>*) who are scared of techno, >>*) who can't install from a CD, >>*) who doesn't know what a file is, >>*) who can't browse a menu and >>*) who can't push buttons. >> >>Good luck writing software to these people, I give up on those. > >Unfortunately, not everybody can :( > >In addition, the software has to be idiotproof as well ie handle wrong input at >the right places and right input at the wrong places. > >You'll be surprised how many people manage to enter a name on a field asking for >a phone number. > >When writing software for a company, I always have to take into account that >there are a even a few people that have trouble finding the power button. Hi Tony, I appreciate you answer but mentally I'm already starting to put this thread behind me. At this point I think I can only repeat my previous arguments, such as: Yes stupid people are out there in plentyfold, but what they need is not a good chess program, what they need is to learn the basics. Say I give Shredder to my 80 year old grand dad, he doesn't know how where to find the power on botton, he doesn't know how to put the CD in the drive, he doesn't know what windows is or what a mouse is. Surely no one can blame Shredder for being a bad program when I the next day tell you he wasn't able to install it on his own. You _must_ learn to walk before you can run. :) -S.
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