[Discuss] Its not possible to make things easier for users

[richard.pieri at gmail.com (Rich Pieri)]

On Sat, 12 Jan 2013 14:55:26 -0500
Mark Woodward <markw at mohawksoft.com> wrote:

> Problems with computers are mostly over at this point. It isn't about 
> computers at all. It is about the tasks the users want to accomplish. 
> You can't make them easier without changing the nature of the task.

I recently wrote, in another thread, that consumers don't want choice.
They don't want to have to make choices. They don't want to have to
make decisions. They just want it -- whatever "it" happens to be -- to
work without them having to think about it.

Joe Consumer doesn't care about the relative merits of various audio
formats and compression ratios. He just wants to play his music on his
generic-just-like-his-neighbor's shiny thing. You can make it easier
for Joe: remove choices.

As Jerry pointed out, FOSS offers a multitude of choices while Windows
offers just a few. Apple offers just one which is really no choice at
all. Which of these is at the top of the market share pig-pile?

o/~ Freedom of choice
    Is what you've got
    Freedom from choice
    Is what you want

Give Joe Consumer a one size fits all appliance and he'll be happy.

-- 
Rich P.