The Century Times

Programmers are a different breed or perhaps they get so involved with their programming that they forget at times why they are doing what they are doing! Programmers program a software to simplify a job. But more often than not, I feel, they rather complicate the job.

Programs should be simple enough for a novice to understand and use them. But most programs are over interactive and keep asking the obvious questions which ought not to be asked and answered. There are so many question boxes to answer for, that it require a voracious reader to read all and precisely answer them to proceed further to another question box!

Perhaps, the programmers are overcautious and overuse the confirmation boxes like whether you would like to exit this file? or would you like to shut down? or would you like to save this file before exiting?, etc. At times programs ask a question without giving any alternative to answer that question in a different way. e.g. I was trying to save a web page while surfing. The program failed to do so and a dialogue box appeared saying the web page you were trying to save was not saved, with the only option to answer was OK. But obviously it wasn’t OK with me. But the programmer mercilessly hasn’t provided any recourse to it!

In Indian culture, it is said to be inauspicious when interferring someone when leaving the home, starting a journey, leaving for work, etc. But programmers always ask ‘would you like to exit?’, ‘Are you sure you want to close this program?’, Do you want it to delete?’,  I think this are the obvious questions which are irritating and could be avoided as no one take them seriously. And these trivials are the real cause for overlook of really serious questions & warnings. All these results in several system crashes or loss of precious files.

If programmers were to program their door bell, there will be a loud voice when you will push their door bell, asking “Are you sure you really wish to push this door bell?”. The day isn’t far away when you will take out your mobile to answer a call, a voice will pop out : “Wouild you really like to answer this call, its from your yelling boss?” I wish programmers will have mercy on us and  won’t over-program our lives. The user always want something very easy to operate. Most programs are loaded with many feature which less than 10% people actually use. But why to trouble or confuse the remaining 90% lot? How many people actually move the menu bar, use special stationaries or opt for extra tools? And how significant or important these features are as compared to the extra time it demands from the user to master them? A novice always pefer to successfully operate and do his job with only the basic features.

The author of “Why Software Sucks …And What You Can Do About It, Mr. David Platt says that Programmers just don’t think like the people who use their products.

The Programmer’s argument is that good programmers are often get overloaded with features demanded by “power users” (die-hard techies) and they end up designing the software as per their demand. But this is not fair.This way they are serving to their own community only!

A product for the masses will be at best nothing but simplistic. So here is the vaccum. Any takers?