Re: What Microsoft Should Do

"xfile" <coucou@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:efZu5jlAJHA.3392@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
First of all, it's not a product-specific discussion in this case.

You specifically made it about Windows with your comment. I'm perfectly
aware that it's not just Windows.

Secondly, your examples are based on your experience and knowledge as an
expert or geek, at least, which isn't necessarily true for a regular user,
and that is the main problem, you don't think from your perspective but
from their perspective.

I'm not sure that's what you wanted to say, but I certainly try to do just
that -- think of issues from the user's point of view, which is why I
install and uninstall many, many dozens of crapware apps, often having to
purchase them, just so I know what they are having to go through. I also
have daughters who are or were into all the worst computer things I can
think of short of porn. Ten different IMs, MySpace, FaceBook, etc., tons of
file-sharing. Putting myself in their shoes when it comes time to fix their
systems, or explain something, it's at the core of what makes me good at
what I do.

Education is needed, but the question is to what degree, isn't it? Using
automobile as an example, we need to educate drivers to fasten seat belt,
but it doesn't mean that they need to learn other safety devices such as
reinforced structure and how air begs work and so on. You are in this
profession so you would spend more time than others. Just in case you
didn't notice, there are thousands of other professions that people have
to spend time to learn.

There's a lot more to learning to drive than how to hook up your seatbelt.
We spend weeks, at least, just to teach newbies the fundamentals of driving.
And then there's things like checking your oil (or at least remembering to
have someone else do it) regularly. Likewise, there are a few things every
computer user should be taught at the very start about performing simple
maintenance tasks, or if they can't or don't want to do that, just like
checking a car's oil, they need to get someone else to do it for them,
whether hired or coerced. Otherwise, just like a car that runs out of oil,
they will suddenly find themselves in a jam that was totally preventable.

It's a free market, isn't it? Nobody forces you to sell products to
customers whom you'd think are idiots. For those who work in a corporate
environment with the same mentality, it's also the same, and one can quit
at any time for refusing to work with idiots, isn't it so simple?

First, you seem to have the usual mistaken notion that MVPs work for MS.
It's actually more like the opposite. We are more often the consumers'
representatives before Microsoft. The term idiot is an unfortunate one
derived from "idiot-proofing" which is what Microsoft appears to be trying
to specialize in, meanwhile just making it more difficult for ITs to deal
with the results. I try to apply it only to "willfully ignorant" persons,
the ones for who the term "cluestick" was invented. In my mind, most users,
including most of my clients, even my Dad, who's been using computers much
longer than I have, are simply ignorant and in need of teaching. But we seem
to be a society that doesn't have time to learn much anymore (if at all.) We
just want to turn the key and drive, without any concern for the machine,
which is why cars are now highly idiot-proofed, also.

I don't use Windows or most other applications because I like them, I use
them because I have to, mostly in order to know what my clients (however you
want to define that cohort) are seeing and trying to deal with, and how
those applications interact and behave themselves within the Windows
environment, etc. It's a combination of hobby and duty.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com


"Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
news:ORC%235TlAJHA.1892@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I find Windows to be incredibly easy to use. Always have. And so do most
people, once they've been taught at least what they need to know to use
and to properly maintain their systems. Like I said, it's mostly just
ignorance, and the ones who have frequent problems are what I usually call
the "willfully ignorant". It's the ones that refuse to learn, or who learn
all the wrong things from all the idiotic and wrong BS out there and then
insist that they are right when they really haven't a clue, especially
when thy are offering up advice to other users, that I consider Idiots or
worse.

Myself, I have two ways of learning: Do all the stupid things I can think
of to break it and then work out how to fix it (usually by reading the
manual, aka Help & Support, and additional KB material, and various other
research tools), or I read the manual first. I'll be honest, I generally
start with the first method. But then, I'm willing and prepared to trash
the system altogether and rebuild it from scratch, a process that in my
case, start to finish, takes days (though, truth be told, I'm never
finished building my system.)

One thing I think you're right about: There are a lot of people out there
who own and/or use PCs that shouldn't. The internet is a community, and
if you're not maintaining your computer properly, especially with regard
to security, then you are a danger to the rest of the internet-using
community. If you aren't willing to learn to do it yourself, then you
have to find someone else to do it for you, for pay or whatever. Same as
your responsibility to maintain your auto in safe condition, your
property, etc.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com

"xfile" <coucou@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:OZf7Z8kAJHA.4992@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The number of ignorant users* of all PCs (Windows, Mac or Linux) is
MUCH higher than 50% of the total. More like 99.9999% or even more.


To avoid problems created by ignorant users or idiots like myself is
very simple, stop selling your products to them using various means
including but not limited to asking for a competency certificate during
purchase, for example.

I am not sure whose vision is correct, but both Steve Jobs and Bill
Gates shared the same vision for providing ease-to-use computers to
their customers (even though they disagree on strategies and tactics),
but many of their knights shared another common attitude for users are
idiots.

The only reason for many IT professionals can have and still keep their
jobs is idiots like myself have been buying and using computers.

But more important, many idiots are fed up with this arrogant attitude,
and that is also one of the major reasons for them to outsource internal
IT department.

Like many other products, it's the idiot users and buyers rule, like it
or not.



"Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message
news:Ou9IbWkAJHA.4040@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The number of ignorant users* of all PCs (Windows, Mac or Linux) is
MUCH higher than 50% of the total. More like 99.9999% or even more.

*While a large number of them are also full-blown idiots, I use the
term "ignorant user" in a purely literal manner. Of course, the most
under-used utility in Windows or any other software has always been
"Help".

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
http://grystmill.com

"DanS" <t.h.i.s.n.t.h.a.t@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Xns9AFFB1F4CC6E3thisnthatadelphianet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"SpiderRIDER" <nospam@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:A4E658FC-9019-4A35-BF87-74FC7F31D90B@xxxxxxxxxxxxx:

Microsoft
just needs to stop trying to design for the idiot users (which are in
the minority) and design for the smart user's.

Note, that minority mean 50% - 1.

That means up to 69,999,999 are idiot users....I'm sure it's not
*that*
high, but there are a lot more idiot users than you think.

Why do you think the smart user's have to support all their friends
and
family that are just lucky enought to be able to turn the damn thing
on.










.

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