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Main Area and Open Discussion => General Software Discussion => Topic started by: zridling on April 10, 2006, 02:28 PM

Title: Luu Tran's wry philosophy of programming
Post by: zridling on April 10, 2006, 02:28 PM

From Luu Tran (http://xnews.newsguy.com/test/change.txt), who makes the Xnews Newsreader:

Have I regaled you with my philosophy of programming? In short:
Computers are so dumb (no thanks to coders like me) that until there's some quantum breakthrough to make it possible for the computer to empathize with the human user and really understand what the heck s/he wants to do, it's pointless to try to make them user friendly or fool proof. You'll only raise expectations and produce dumber users. Much easier to make software that's hard to use if not inscrutable. Train the users to fear your software and to expect strange if not ruinous behaviors at every turn. This way, if something does work, they are amazed and grateful. Your users will also be smarter, more knowledgable and resourceful, and won't bother you when things break. And the world will be a better place for it.

Title: Re: Luu Tran's wry philosophy of programming
Post by: f0dder on April 10, 2006, 02:55 PM

I hope he doesn't code the way he preaches... then again, *nix opensores software...   8)

Title: Re: Luu Tran's wry philosophy of programming
Post by: zridling on April 10, 2006, 04:35 PM

Not really. Xnews is truly an excellent and easy-to-use newsreader; simple compared to NewsLeecher these days. That why you have to take his quote as tongue-in-cheek.

Title: Re: Luu Tran's wry philosophy of programming
Post by: allen on April 10, 2006, 05:13 PM

Xnews is under development again?! I quit using it a few years back, as he'd pretty much stated he wasn't going to be doing any more with it.  I quit checking.

Man, happy day . . . <downloading>

Title: Re: Luu Tran's wry philosophy of programming
Post by: imtrobin on April 11, 2006, 01:53 AM

Now I know why Xnews is such a pain in the butt... but I still use it.

Title: Re: Luu Tran's wry philosophy of programming
Post by: wr975 on April 11, 2006, 02:16 AM

>Xnews is under development again?!

Just minor bugfixes (http://xnews.newsguy.com/test/change.txt). I've used it for many years until I switched to some other newsreader. Luu stated, the code is a mess and he'll never make it open source.

I think as plain text newsreader Xnews is still one of the best.

Title: Re: Luu Tran's wry philosophy of programming
Post by: mouser on April 11, 2006, 02:24 AM

 ;D ;D ;D cool though.

Title: Re: Luu Tran's wry philosophy of programming
Post by: zridling on April 13, 2006, 08:01 PM

I've tried every newsreader out there except for GrabIt recently, and much like graphics software, I'm astonished at the steep learning curve. XNews is primitive, but man it works like a mule. NewsLeecher, on the other hand, still doesn't have a Help File after 3.5 versions! I use it, too, but it can be maddening.  >:(

Title: Re: Luu Tran's wry philosophy of programming
Post by: allen on April 13, 2006, 08:19 PM

I like 40tude dialog too -- donation ware, at that ;)