This quote from the blog of one of the designers of the Firefox browser:

Of course, the idea that software should be invisible to its users is somewhat sobering to its developers. Ask any seasoned programmer if coding is an art or a science and he will invariably claim the former. The frustrating difference is that art is inherently an end unto itself, created to be consumed and enjoyed. People enjoy the painting, but software is just the paintbrush. Until some programmers come to terms with the hard realization that nobody actually wants to use software for the sake of using software, I fear we will be forced to cope with ever more task panes and other distractions that seem to serve no purpose other than to remind us that someone worked late hours creating the program. (http://blakeross.com/index.php?p=9
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But is it the case that nobody enjoys the sheer process of using software? Maybe the point is that I'm in a small minority regarding that taste.

My view is that the degree to which the software must be transparent to the user varies depending on the class of software. It is vital in organizers; to me at least, less necessary in a pim. The rule I'd suggest is that the more intellectually demanding the actions in which the software is directly involved, the more transparent its actual operation should be to avoid draining needed resources. As to web browsers, it seems to me Blake is entirely wrong. Web browsing, in and of itself, is about as intellectually demanding as turning the switch on a tv remote. That's why it's called "surfing" the web. Browsers can stand a great deal more complexity than they currently have, which is why I prefer Opera to Firefox.

[Stephen D.: But is it the case that nobody enjoys the sheer process of using software? Maybe the point is that I'm in a small minority regarding that taste.]

I'm not so sure about the minority stuff. I've seen many a non-technominded folk do simple things on their PCs just for the sake of using it.

[the more intellectually demanding the actions in which the software is directly involved, the more transparent its actual operation should be to avoid draining needed resources]

I definitely agree; in fact, that's how professional programs are created. The more demanding on processor power, the less "intuitive" menus, smooth animation and other cycle wasters.

alx

But is it the case that nobody enjoys the sheer process of using software?

Stephen,

This is certainly an intriguing question. My answer is that definitely enjoy using software... that is, software that works well, does what I expect, and doesn't require a Ph.D. to figure out. I like to clip things into Zoot, for instance, because I get a kick out of the fact that the Zooter is hovering there in the upper right corner of my screen waiting to make this task easy. I have just learned to enjoy pulling a web page or e-mail into UltraRecall, because it is just so darned easy! Okay, so I'm easily entertained!

As you know, and as I've said several times before, I dislike writing in editors that don't allow extended selection of text. I can never get used to having to carefully place the cursor at the start of the text I want to block edit, and drag it carefully to the last character of the block... when I should be able to double click on the first word and drag to the last word... takes much less fussing with the mouse, and much less distraction. That's when software becomes unenjoyable: when it turns pleasurable work into a drudge.

Does the software enhance thinking, planning, writing, creating? If it does, it's fun to use. I think one of the most crucial factors is that when performing routine functions -- that is, functions you might use on almost any piece of software -- that it follow standards. For instance, I do a lot of layout work in PageMaker, a program I love, but it does not have mouse wheel support, and I am constantly trying to scroll with the mouse wheel and get frustrated. Silly, but you don't want to have to think about this stuff when you're trying to be creative... especially when being creative doesn't come naturally.

Steve Z.