Subject: Re: Are you good sports?
From: mslamm@pluto.cc.huji.ac.il (Zvi Lamm)
Date: 31 Jan 1995 17:08:30 GMT
References: <19950127.112027.10352@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca>

William Chang <wchang@CB.CSHL.ORG> writes:

>Raul writes:
>> More generally, there's a strong dichotomy between "ease of use" for
>> someone new to an area and "ease of use" for someone familiar with an
>> area.

>Hmm, I hear this a lot, but I disagree.  The typical example given is the
>Mac GUI vs Unix CLI (where does the PC fit in?).  I would claim that
>(whichever) "Unix" is harder to use even for experts--who use it because
>it is more powerful, not because it is easier.  I'd bet, given five minutes
>of practice, a ping-pong novice will play better with a $100 paddle than
>with a $10 one.  Do you have contrary examples?

>-- Bill Chang (wchang@cshl.org)

As I see it, a system may be harder for a novice and "not-harder" (vs.
easier) for an expert. For example after years of working on Unix it is
not harder to use than the Mac. It is not easier.
Perhaps the use is more efficient, and we should try to make the
langauges we use have enough expressive ability to make their use
efficient.

--
Ehud Lamm     mslamm@pluto.mscc.huji.ac.il
