Peter Norell
Posts: 5
Nickname: bithir
Registered: Dec, 2002
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Re: Software Aesthetics and Quality
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Posted: Dec 13, 2002 3:30 AM
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Here I come bantering in to this interesting discussion.
Vote on quote
The quote original button is perfectly fine as it is. I think it is overused already, just look on this thread itself, as text is quoted altough the post is just above. Please, no automatic quote. People are lazy enough, look at the feature of automatic quoting mail. I get mails over 300 lines long since users don't bother to remove irrelevant replies. In mail it is usually not a hassle as I just don't read whatever comes after the new text, but for a forum like this, it would force me to scroll way to much.
Nice features lacking in other forums
I do like the information box to the right (Formatting Your Post) as it shows clearly for anyone bothering to read before posting how to accomplish a good formatting and nice view. Obviously, too few people read the box and skip the use of the preview button, but that can not be remedied easily.
Usuability features lacking
I would say that I would like to see who posted the last post in my watches. At the moment, I can see who posted the original post, but I would really like to see who posted the last one as well. This way I can see imidiatly if someone has replied to my message without keeping track of when I posted my article.
Back to the discussion
Designing GUI for user satisfaction is a nice, but not always a requested feature (I got you all aggitated now).
I have been involved in a system where more or less the satisfaction of the current userbase with the GUI was not the primary concern.
Why was not the satisfaction of the user interface important
The current system was a 3270 interface, the employees (counting over 10 000) has an average age of 55. They have been using this 3270 system for years and years and no user interface we ever could produce could beat the speed and effieciency these users have with the 3270. But with an organisation that has an average age of 55 has trouble as quite a few (almost all) would retire within a few years, and in ten years more than 50%.
Thus proving that user satisfaction is not always mandatory
To rememedy this it was needed to make the workplace attractive and shorten the computer adaption for new users, a more modern GUI was required. The new users are used with the windows and mousebuttons. To help new people in to the organisation, the older people has to learn this GUI for them to teach the new users of the different options and uses.
All in all, the old users where very frustrated with the new GUI (using mouse and clicking around when the simple keypad would do fine in the old GUI), but for survival off the organisation, it was/is nessecary to attract new people.
Sidenote
The system had other requirements which would have obsoleted the old system anyway, but I just wanted to make this point.
Regards,
Peter Norell
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