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Comment by chii | Hacker News Reader

> I don't like Google Maps and I deleted it. Now I can't see the map!

i mean, is it common for a user to hold contradictory thoughts like that?!

Most of the abstractions used in computing are objectively quite complicated. Filesystems are a classic example - to understand a filesystem practically someone has to be able to imagine a tree structure, which they will never see laid out in one spot. A lot of ordinary users aren't going to be up for that, I don't think that is a skill called upon outside of computing.

In the case of "deleting Google maps" I'd suggest many users probably operate by remembering a recipe of actions they need to take to get a result, of a form "see this" -> "do that". If they aren't regular computer users, it is easy to see how the fact that some of those steps are in a context that we call "Google Maps" could escape them. They probably aren't comfortable with the idea of programs (especially if someone has told them that programs are separate from each other; because as an axiom that it is sometimes violated). Google Maps isn't labeled inside the app, so if they don't already know what it is they aren't going to figure it out.

In short, yes users are going to believe contradictory things. Just because Hacker News users all know the common abstractions by heart doesn't make them obvious to everyone.

I see you've never worked a helpdesk. :)

(Depressingly, yes. PEBKAC is the most common diagnosis and people get really angry about it.)

For those curious:

PEBKAC == "Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair",

means you, the user, are the cause of the issue, not the hardware or the software

For those who prefer a slightly more pleasant looking acronym, there is also:

PICNIC == "Problem In Chair, Not In Computer"

I like that better. That said, imagine the office:

— "It's PICNIC again, guys"

— groans all around

We had PICNIC back in the day in the UK too, plus "ID ten T" often went on the notes.

ID10T

some car mechanics say that it is a problem of the piece/part located between the driving wheel and the driver's seat.

What technicians don't realize is how often PEBKAC is located at the programming station.

Developers surprised by users lacking a mental model of the operating system, who follow HIGs without understanding why they exists, or who never see how their applications are used, are prone to build applications that kill by a thousand paper cuts.

It doesn't help that people skills are moved to a separate discipline and not taught as part of the essential CS curricula.

Yes, not least because technicians are really bad at building context. Telling people to delete stuff to protect their privacy without providing a clear alternative that delivers equivalent functionality is a good way to upset them.

The google intent system makes it easy for apps to call other apps. Things like location -> map. Or need an barcode scan -> scanner pops up. Need an email -> email client pops up. Click on a movie and youtube or netflix pops up. So sure, people may think "I'll never need that apps" without realizing that it breaks opening that kind of file/website/link.

The bindings between intents or filetypes and the apps that open them is a rather common support issue across numerous platforms.

For whatever reason it's pretty common for users to think ... "I'll never need excel on this computer", but then be rather irate when they can't open an excel attachment.

How are those contradictory? I get rid of my dictionary, my other books still work.

I, personally, understand the shortcut. Do you want to not break stuff or educate consumers? One of those sounds really expensive.

I mean, it’s a clever threat. I think it overestimates people at their most angry. A rational person wouldn’t break stuff. An irrational person will double down on their belief that you broke other stuff.