Users vs programmers
@freakazoid That's true and I didn't catch this on a recent re-watch. All computer users were essentially considered to be programmers back then.
You turned on a computer in 1982 and it came up with a programming prompt. The first interaction was to type in a line of code.
Users vs programmers
@tsturm @freakazoid it really looks like most people didn't want to write programs to get their work done. Even I, a software engineer, would prefer a good UI for most of my computer usage. I like a good API too, but often I need it just to resolve shortcomings in the primary interface.
Users vs programmers
@jfred @tsturm @freakazoid I intentionally didn't write "GUI". Just using a CLI isn't programming in the sense I meant or in the sense I would guess most people mean. There's a minimum amount of composition or customization I would expect before I call it "programming".
Users vs programmers
@2ck @tsturm @freakazoid
are you assuming there exists (or is theoretically possible) a one-size-fits-all interface for every task?
Users vs programmers
@wolf480pl @tsturm @freakazoid of course not.
Users vs programmers
@2ck
Now, what if it turned out that for some tasks, every user needs a different interface? That'd mean that no matter how good an interface the developer makes, most users will not be satisfied by this. And the only person capable of making ideal interface is the one who will be using it?
@tsturm @freakazoid
Users vs programmers
@wolf480pl @tsturm @freakazoid that's not really the point I'm trying to make. It's more about the level of effort and energy people are willing to put in to make an interface that fits their needs more closely. For something nontrivial, making a good program usu isn't cheap.
I do think there's scope for exposing more access to the guts of the system (libre SW/HW FTW). It's also worth appreciating the "users"/"programmers" split is fluid even for one person. It's still a useful split for short-handing the level of effort and sophistication expected of the operator of the system
Users vs programmers
@2ck @tsturm @freakazoid Let's put it another way: do you use command line tools to get your work done? The command line interface is very much akin to an API, and if you ever write shell pipelines... well, you're writing a simple program!
I think we lost a lot of expressiveness in the transition from CLIs to GUIs, but it didn't have to play out that way. Some earlier GUIs were a lot more expressive than today's: https://youtu.be/AnrlSqtpOkw?t=135