Looking at a
tweet from Jeff Atwood led me to an
article from 2004 that clarified some things for me.
As coders, we come up with some strange ideas that are to get around hardware deficiencies. We convince ourselves that we're making strides in UX, when all we're really doing is making a lot of problems for people that will come after us.
Mouse Gestures
Finger Swiping
Double Clicking
Force Touch
Heck, let's add right clicking into it.
From a developer's standpoint, they seem cool, and add a lot of functionality in an 'elegant' fashion. But in all reality, they in general add a layer of complexity and frustration that our users will be hampered by.
Sometimes, simple, no matter how inelegant it may seem, is just better.
What is this rant for? A reminder to myself, I suppose, of a quote by Einstein that I sometimes forget.
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction."