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From: sch@linus.UUCP (Stephen C. Hemminger)
Newsgroups: net.cog-eng
Subject: Re: Reply to "Are we designing for the users...?"
Message-ID: <300@linus.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Aug-83 09:42:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: linus.300
Posted: Mon Aug 29 09:42:52 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 29-Aug-83 10:38:38 EDT
References: utcsstat.938, <1932@tekecs.UUCP> <968@utcsstat.UUCP>
Organization: MITRE Corp., Bedford MA
Lines: 18

I think Laura hit the crux of the problem...

     For most computer system developers, they want to learn about new
systems.  They are eager learners.  This applies equally well to many
novice users of computers as well.

    The problem comes when people are forced to learn a new system.
When a boss tells his secratary she has to learn a new system, the
system (no matter how user friendly) is at an extreme disadvantage.

    As an engineer, I really can not see a perfect solution to the
problem.  You can't make the customer change his ways, and you can't
make a system that the user can learn under duress.

-- 
Stephen Hemminger,  Mitre Corp. Bedford MA 
	{allegra,genrad,ihnp4, utzoo}!linus!sch	(UUCP)
	linus!sch@mitre-bedford			(ARPA)