[TYPO3-hci] Open Source usability sucks?

[Erik Svendsen]

Hello Kasper,

> Hi all,
> 
> many years ago someone sent me this link to an article:
> 
> http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~daven/docs/oss-wp.html
> 
> Back then, I didn't relate very well to it. Today, I re-read it and
> found that it outlined many truths about our situation.
> 
> What do the rest of you think?
> 
> - kasper

I think the article is pointing on two very important aspect.

1. Open Source very often has little user interaction in development.
2. Open Source development focus on functionality, and not so much on usability.

So maybe the most important to learn from the article is to use proper usability 
testing with user when a new HCI are developed.

But my experience is that the question about open source and usability can't 
be answered in an easy way today. For instance, I think amongst CMS most 
system with high degree of usability for users are Open Source (Drupal, Joomla, 
Xmod, TYPO3). I have tried some commersial solutions, and they are not what 
I would put as an example of usability.

If you are talking about everyday applications, I would say mostly the usability 
is better in commersial applications. But the gap has decreased a lot since 
2002. I think very few are considering Firefox having lesser usability than 
IE. And also the latest Linux distros are catching up with XP and Mac in 
usability.

To Tapios point with bad labels. He may have a point, but I don't know how 
many times i have found labels nearly impossible to understand in commersial 
software. But in most Open Source can I change the label, something thats 
impossible in commersial software. Else, to me "unlink" are perfect, because 
it exaxtly what it does (and not delete).


WBR,
Erik Svendsen
www.linnearad.no