6 ms·

Why is taking away features "in" now?

by swiftin 13y ago

nwh 13y ago
I'll bite. Due to the names Java and JavaScript being so similar, users get confused when their technically-minded friend recommends that they disable Java in their browser. Somewhat like ham and hamster, with no prior knowledge the user has no idea that the technologies are entirely different. I've personally had to help a number of people out who have mistakenly disabled JavaScript. That was the impression I got.
hayksaakian 13y ago
In theory, to make way for new ones and to avoid clutter in the UI.
CyberDroiD 13y ago
It's a symptom of not really understanding the web or the browser.
- hobs 13y ago
  I think a fair question to ask is, "If you do not understand the internet, should it be easy to disable javascript in your browser?" As a person who uses noscript every day in FF, at first I thought this was a bad idea, but the more I think about the support aspect of this, the only time I think you really should turn off JS is when you understand enough to find the advanced options.
  - dthunt 13y ago
    Yeah. I hate javascript with a fiery passion. But I'm sensitive to (possibly real) arguments that people are accidentally disabling it because they start clicking random stuff in the 'content' tab of preferences. So move it to 'advanced' and call it a day.
mehwoot 13y ago
Because people now realise that adding features is not necessarily a good thing. It adds complexity to both development and using the product. If there isn't a very good reason for it to be there, then it shouldn't be. Evidently the firefox developers do not think there is a very good reason for disabling javascript to be in the general options, so they removed it.
streptomycin 13y ago
I haven't noticed any particular trend recently. It's a constant undercurrent. http://www.amazon.com/The-Paradox-Choice-More-Less/dp/0060005696 http://www.amazon.com/The-Paradox-Choice-More-Less/dp/006000... http://www106.pair.com/rhp/free-software-ui.html http://www106.pair.com/rhp/free-software-ui.html
mfincham 13y ago
<proselytizing> Software needs to empower the user. Writing arbitrary limitations in to code to make certain functionality harder to achieve is a seriously repulsive attitude for developers to have. The current trend in removing features from software seems like a great way to have a dire shortage of engineers in 50 years time. The attitude that "software is a magic and untouchable black box, you can only use it to do the specific thing the developer wants you to" destroys the true power of the computer as a tool, it might as well be a radio or a TV that incessantly produces other peoples ideas. Write useful, empowering and well tested modular code. Let the user work out what crazy and wonderful ways they arrange those modules. Don't make changes that serve only to glob more functionality up in to impenetrable, monolithic black boxes. </proselytizing> Also: Overriding peoples existing preferences during upgrade? Nice work guys :/
- njr123 13y ago
  Have you ever actually met any normal users? They have work they need to do, and the software is just a means to an end. They don't want to be 'empowered' by developers, and they definitely don't want to have to deal with arranging a bunch of poorly documented modules that make no sense if you are not familiar with the underlying architecture.
  - homeomorphic 13y ago
    Then have another checkbox, something like "enable advanced settings (warning: if you don't know anything about cars, would you really mess with your car's breaks?)", that toggles the availability of these kinds of settings. Everybody wins.
    - asadotzler 13y ago
      We have that. It's called about:config.
      - homeomorphic 13y ago
        Good point.
pacifika 13y ago
It's good product design to cut options that allow your used to break your product.

Why is taking away features "in" now?

by swiftin 13y ago

Why is taking away features "in" now?

nwh 13y ago

I'll bite. Due to the names Java and JavaScript being so similar, users get confused when their technically-minded friend recommends that they disable Java in their browser. Somewhat like ham and hamster, with no prior knowledge the user has no idea that the technologies are entirely different. I've personally had to help a number of people out who have mistakenly disabled JavaScript. That was the impression I got.

hayksaakian 13y ago

In theory, to make way for new ones and to avoid clutter in the UI.

CyberDroiD 13y ago

It's a symptom of not really understanding the web or the browser.

hobs 13y ago
I think a fair question to ask is, "If you do not understand the internet, should it be easy to disable javascript in your browser?" As a person who uses noscript every day in FF, at first I thought this was a bad idea, but the more I think about the support aspect of this, the only time I think you really should turn off JS is when you understand enough to find the advanced options.
- dthunt 13y ago
  Yeah. I hate javascript with a fiery passion. But I'm sensitive to (possibly real) arguments that people are accidentally disabling it because they start clicking random stuff in the 'content' tab of preferences. So move it to 'advanced' and call it a day.

mehwoot 13y ago

Because people now realise that adding features is not necessarily a good thing. It adds complexity to both development and using the product. If there isn't a very good reason for it to be there, then it shouldn't be. Evidently the firefox developers do not think there is a very good reason for disabling javascript to be in the general options, so they removed it.

streptomycin 13y ago

I haven't noticed any particular trend recently. It's a constant undercurrent. http://www.amazon.com/The-Paradox-Choice-More-Less/dp/0060005696 http://www.amazon.com/The-Paradox-Choice-More-Less/dp/006000... http://www106.pair.com/rhp/free-software-ui.html http://www106.pair.com/rhp/free-software-ui.html

mfincham 13y ago

<proselytizing> Software needs to empower the user. Writing arbitrary limitations in to code to make certain functionality harder to achieve is a seriously repulsive attitude for developers to have. The current trend in removing features from software seems like a great way to have a dire shortage of engineers in 50 years time. The attitude that "software is a magic and untouchable black box, you can only use it to do the specific thing the developer wants you to" destroys the true power of the computer as a tool, it might as well be a radio or a TV that incessantly produces other peoples ideas. Write useful, empowering and well tested modular code. Let the user work out what crazy and wonderful ways they arrange those modules. Don't make changes that serve only to glob more functionality up in to impenetrable, monolithic black boxes. </proselytizing> Also: Overriding peoples existing preferences during upgrade? Nice work guys :/

njr123 13y ago
Have you ever actually met any normal users? They have work they need to do, and the software is just a means to an end. They don't want to be 'empowered' by developers, and they definitely don't want to have to deal with arranging a bunch of poorly documented modules that make no sense if you are not familiar with the underlying architecture.
- homeomorphic 13y ago
  Then have another checkbox, something like "enable advanced settings (warning: if you don't know anything about cars, would you really mess with your car's breaks?)", that toggles the availability of these kinds of settings. Everybody wins.
  - asadotzler 13y ago
    We have that. It's called about:config.
    - homeomorphic 13y ago
      Good point.

pacifika 13y ago

It's good product design to cut options that allow your used to break your product.