Re: Nerds Love Text-Based Interfaces
In response to [Nerds Love Text-Based Interfaces Partially Because of Cognitive Dissonance, Which Also Explains Why People Like Shakespeare And Genital Mutilation].
I've read article which suggest that our beloved text-based interfaces are only a nerd fantasy. We are talking about them so much, that we can't admit that we were wrong from the beginning. Oh, come on! It can't be true. So why text-interface is better than graphical one? Many of us begun in the time when there are no other interface than that text-based. So maybe we are sentimental?
I remember the time of more and more fancy graphical interfaces. The most weird ones were that from music players. So we started from colorful WinAmp skins, and we moved to (software) mp3 players which had non-rectangle shape system windows. Less rectangle window, more strange buttons, mean more modern interface in 90's was. Such evolving of text-based interfaces were pointing to nowhere. But it isn't any answer.
I like to use film cameras. Because for not so much money I can use photo equipment for professionals. These cameras were made with care of any detail. There were no space for compromises in area of ergonomic. My hand is ready for any action, and behind any of my fingers waiting button or lever for doing something. Film camera doesn't have today's fancy LCD, which seems to show us everything - but we know everything. Doesn't have complex menu with advanced actions - but we can do them, in the most cases quicker than by graphical menu. That is in some point an analogy to the text-base interface.
There aren't any progress in movement from text-based to graphical interface even though many say so. More real could be that text-based interfaces, which are older, could be more studied and polished. More familiar and more natural for people. And what is more, text-based interfaces are more likely projected to be driven by keyboard. Mots of the graphical interfaces are operated mainly by mouse or fingers, not keyboard.
In this point I can go back to the thought about film camera. That analog buttons and levers, and the same computer keyboard, must be more efficient. So for me, not text-based interface, nor graphical interface are better. Better is base concept behind a way interface is operated. Sometime mouse or finger are indispensable, but in other cases the strength of power-user is keyboard.
And maybe, as written in [Nerds Love Text-Based Interfaces...], we need much time to be used to text-based interfaces. But it isn't wasted time, it's professionalization of our interactions with computer.
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@ Tue 18 Jan 2022 07:20:28 PM CET
tags: #people, #cli
/gemlog/