Hacker News Reader

What's so wrong with running shell commands and editing config files? Why must users never learn anything? Why must everything be dumbed until it can be operated only with point-and-grunt?

I guess you could make a configuration GUI that purports to let people click to set every option in the system, because they must never type for some reason, but how easy do you think that is to go actually use? There's always something off "the beaten track".

View on HN

Yeah, you're completely right, in fact, GUIs were just a total mistake. Let's just all go back to command-line all the time /s.

When it comes down to it, computers are a means to an end, so why make the means harder than it has to be, especially for someone who doesn't work in an IT related space?

> Why must everything be dumbed until it can be operated only with point-and-grunt

Why do you think products like the iPad and iPhone are so successful? They work with no configuration and pretty much anyone can use them without too many issues.

And if there ever was anything you might have an opinion on or need for and want to configure chances are those products will tell you to go jump in a lake.

When you make the whole of the world a GUI suddenly only features for which convenient GUIs can be made cheaply and pretty enough are worth supporting.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com