Re: What's Better: Dumbed Down or Loaded with Functionality?

From: Ross Singer <ross.singer_at_nyob>
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2006 10:39:44 -0400
To: NGC4LIB_at_listserv.nd.edu
On 6/9/06, Jeremy Dunck <jdunck_at_gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 6/9/06, Bernhard Eversberg <ev_at_biblio.tu-bs.de> wrote:
> > And: Software that bends over backwards to be helpful may also keep you
> > from learning something...
>
> What if my goal is not to learn the software?  Or what if I've never
> used the software before, and am not that likely to do so again?
>

Well, right.  Learning opportunities should be limited to "his name is
actually spelled Thomas Friedman, not Thomas Freidmann" -- because this
would be an issue outside of the catalog -- as opposed to "when searching
for authors please Friedman, Thomas".  That, quite frankly, is the kind of
lesson that can be done away with since it's learning how to use a poorly
designed technology.

-Ross.
Received on Fri Jun 09 2006 - 10:42:09 EDT