[TYPO3-hci] The Paradox of Choice

[Susanne Moog]

Jens Hoffmann wrote:
>> No. - And I can explain why ...
>> I am the end user of TYPO3 and I use it to create something for my client
>> he/she can work with. The clients are only using a very small part of the
>> system which is necessary to add, delete and/or edit different elements
>> (content, news, sometimes users and newsletters).
> 
> For exp.: So you mean the OS could have bad Usability so long the 
> eMail-Client is fine?

As I understood: No, but the end user is the one who is using the whole 
OS not the one who only uses the email client.

>> The major part of TYPO3 will remain unseen for those clients so _if_ you
>> want to call them "end users", they are end users of the editing 
>> features.
>> They will never change a template, be it pure TS ore TV based, they will
>> never use the kickstarter, they will never touch a constant. They will 
>> never
>> use all the other features outside the editors view.
> 
> I don't get it why a admin/dev don't need a better Backend or better Usab.?

Nobody has said so. I think we are talking about improving the usability 
for everyone and in my opinion it isn't better to have less ways to do 
things. Explanation follows below.

> A way is not a Function or Module! We or better I was talking about 
> (mainly in my PPT) way to for exp. create a new Page. There i don't
> see a Pro the have in a 30px Radius 5 Way to do just 100% the same.
> This is't a Future this is bad Usability because it confuses _every_ User.

I see a pro because I can choose which way fits me best and use it. Of 
course I can only do this because I have the knowledge that all of those 
possibilites give me the same result. I think the unexperienced user is 
confused by it, but for every unexperienced user there is an admin who 
should be able to cut down the possibilites to the one the unexperienced 
user will see in the end. So again I think we should improve the 
configuration mechanism for the admin so that he is able to customize 
all settings easily.


> Sorry I this you make it much to easy!
> What hast writeing skill with a CMS to do?

It has to do with the general willingness to learn what you are doing. 
Language is - in a way - a tool for communication. If you aren't even 
willing to learn that tool although you are using it extensively then 
why should you bother to learn a tool like Typo3 that you are using much 
less?
The carelessness regarding language annoys and bothers me for a long 
time but I cannot do much against it. But I don't want that people 
develop the same kind of carelessness regarding Typo3. We should focus 
on encouraging people to learn working with Typo3 in a way that they 
have fun but still learn. We shouldn't encourage the opinion that 
everything is just served on a silver platter.

>> If we really do smarten it up instead of dumbing it down, I have no 
>> problems
>> with that "evolution". IMHO Anything else would be "degeneration".
> 
> I have ready all this (mostly senseless) HCI posts, but i can't remember
> any really discussed "dumbing it down" post. How/Where do get all this ???

How do you judge which posts are senseless? Fruitless perhaps but I 
don't think they're right out senseless.
And you yourself stated just in this post that you want one way to add a 
new page. Now is this dropping functionality or not?

> Sorry, but all those discourage/bearish Posting you make, dosn't
> help in any way. So do I feel! And slowly it turns me into anger.

I think they helped. At least they helped me to define and refine my 
opinions on usability and what usability means to me.

> Present as your much better solution!
> It's easy to say ... all what you make just suck! (My Words.)

In my opinion much of your suggestions are good and I like a lot in the 
powerpoint presentation but then not everything.
We should build a second focus beyond the interface on the documentation 
and on how to improve the learning process.

> BTW: The guy who wrote the article has a damm skill and is a Usability 
> Freak!

This may be although it doesn't necessarily mean he's right. But I think 
he is - as long as it is about windows vista and it's users. Most of 
them are that what we would call "editing users" in Typo3. For those the 
15 possibilities may be too much - although they probably will use the 
"power off" symbol and ignore all others. But for an admin each of those 
options makes sense. So the question for me is: Wouldn't it be better if 
the system could be configured to show all the options to an admin and 
hide them for a normal user?

Now before something on my post "turns you into anger" I want to ensure 
you that I mean no offense but I believe this things have to be discussed.

Regards,

Susanne