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Comment by wvenable | Hacker News Reader

Microsoft is looking to do more data-driven design; this is the reason for all the telemetry in Windows as well. Raymond Chen pointed out an example where a button was removed File Explorer (prime real-estate) because the telemetry showed that hardly anyone ever pressed it.

It's unfortunate they are so tone-deaf about the PR implications in Windows.

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We have removed all the weapon deployment buttons from our nuclear subs, silos, and bombers, because telemetry shows that they are typically only pressed during unit testing.

Since we only have two recorded events of someone deploying a nuclear weapon in a real-world scenario, it should be safe to relocate those buttons off the main console, and just use the auxiliary functions button, behind the kick panel, next to the row of DIP switches used for selecting the button press function. Since "reorder coffee pods" was the last auxiliary function to be added, "launch nukes" will be next, so make sure you double-check those switches before pushing, coffee drinkers!

I know this is just meant in jest, but because the weapon deployment buttons are something you never want to be pressed on accident, ideally you really do want to obscure them behind layers and layers of user interaction.

If anything we had the problem of them not being obscured enough for a while (if the story of the launch codes being 00000000 across the board is true).

I thought it was just four zeros (0000)

You're joking but I'll give a serious reply to why your analogy is off. This is why they have war games. The telemetry from those games would be included in the analysis.

My point was that user interface patterns do not always indicate the importance of the control, because there may be multiple modes of operation (such as "Standby", "War", "War Game", and "Readiness Drill") that might not be obvious--or even apparent--from the raw button-press numbers.

You want the "War Game" telemetry to count for the "War" design, but you can't really tell which is which without having additional data that you shouldn't be allowed to see. If you detect "casual user" and "programmer" modes in your OS, the user shouts, "I don't want my computer knowing (and sharing) that much info about who I am!"

Even though most people aren't likely to ever need to use a fire extinguisher, you really want that interface to be simple and accessible. If you decide that because no one ever used this particular fire extinguisher, it doesn't need to be there, that's a decision that could make the difference between life and death. Moving a button on a form doesn't seem quite that serious, but it could still cause people to lose time or money, which adds up across all the people using the software.

But they aren't saying they will blindly follow the telemetry data, just that it's an important factor.

You need to determine which feature to add:

1. One that 3 developers asked for

2. One that 6 developers asked for.

With telemetry that can become:

1. One that 3 developers asked for and can improve things for 60% of your userbase.

2. One that 6 developers asked for, but only 12 of them are using the function that it will improve.

Without telemetry data, you are playing with an arm tied behind your back.

The "Compatibility Files" button was removed: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20150902-00/?p=...

Like when they removed Macros from Visual Studio because according to telemetry only 1% of users used them.

I always suspected that there was probably significant overlap between users of macros and users who opted out of telemetry. Lesson learned: leaving "yes" checked from now on.

Big Brother has trained you well. ;-)

Yep. Don't vote and nobody will care about your (unexpressed) needs when making decisions.

Well, it would be nice if there is a way to vote or express one's needs via some alternative to having one's usage actively mined for data.

There is mining for data and there is mining for data.

Monitoring which features I use? Opt in.

Monitoring what I do? Uninstall if possible.

I think you are truly in a minority if you'd rather take a survey than have the data collected automatically. There has to be a sane middle ground.

Data collected by a neutral third party without conflicting interests pushing for creative monetization opportunities that's responsible for sufficient annonymisation/aggregation before releasing the data?

You can always refrain to use their technology. There is plenty green grass in the neighboring fields.

Are you referring to the 1% on wall street? ;)

I only remember accidentally t turning them on and they getting mad!

The Story of the Ribbon video about Microsoft and data driven design.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl9kD693ie4

Ribbon, or "How to Figure Out Where a Menu Item Is Based Solely on UX Data"*

*Customers may not be granted access to UX data

The Ribbon is, in my opinion, the use interface equivalent of a broken pull tab on a can of corn. I know it is there, I know that I'm supposed to use it, but I can't because it is broken.

I am relieved to see there is somebody out there who shares my opinion on this ... innovation.

> a button was removed from File Explorer

Would that be the "Go up to the parent directory" button that was removed in 7 by any chance?

Easily my favorite button in file explorer.

They still have that button, and you can go up by clicking on the parent folder name as well.

[Ctrl][Up] works in Vista onwards to move up a folder. It's worth knowing.

<Backspace> does this, since XP I think - ^↑ doesn't seem to work for me in Win 10.

Backspace is "back" not "up a folder level" as far as I am aware. This is consistent with web browsers - and indeed the conceptual meaning of "backspace" (go back 1)

No. And that was added back in Windows 10.

8, actually

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