Re: [GSoC] Draft proposal for an Install Wizard for Guix

[myglc2 <myglc2@gmail.com>]

ludo@gnu.org (Ludovic Courtès) writes:

> myglc2 <myglc2@gmail.com> skribis:
>
>> Thomas Ingram <taingram@mtu.edu> writes:
>>
>>> On 03/26/2016 07:39 AM, Ludovic Courtès wrote:
>>>> Personally, I would like to view the “wizard” as a helper, and not as
>>>> something that hides everything and turns people into “end users.”
>>
>> Wow, Ludo, what do you have against "end users"?
>
> I think that for people to enjoy their computing freedom, they must be
> empowered rather than treated as “end users.”

OK, how about this thought experiment:

Let's say you are making software that empowers users to do anything
they like. You also have the choice between a "user friendly" interface
design and a "hacker friendly" design. The overall functionally is the
same in both versions.

Lets say the "user friendly" version structures the interface to provide
bite-sized entry points so that novices can easily start using it.  The
"hacker friendly" version has a more complex user interface that hackers
like better.

Now, if 100,000 people will adopt the "user friendly" version, and
10,0000 users will adopt the "hacker friendly" version, which will
empower more people?  Which version would you want to build?

This is why user interface decisions are so important. It is why, in a
traditional software company, such big battles are fought between the
marketing and engineering departments over usability.

[...]

> Now, I’m not saying that Guix{,SD} or Emacs are trivial for anyone to
> hack on either, but I think their design where everything is exposed in
> a unified way lowers the barrier to hacking.

Yes Guix is brilliant for hacking. That's why I have blown the last
three months playing with it ;-)

But I assure you, Guix complexity will be off-putting to non-hackers,
just as emacs is. Guix was off-putting to me, and I use emacs 24x7.

So, IMO, if you do nothing, your user base will be largely limited to
Guix hackers. Is this what you want?

[...]
>
> There was a talk last year by Mako on this topic:
>
>   https://mako.cc/copyrighteous/access-without-empowerment-libreplanet-2015-keynote

Watched this talk. The primary measure of success Mako cites is the
number of users. Whether we like it or not, at the end of the day, this
is the most important metric to most people. It drives credibility,
resources, and acceptance.

There is no doubt in my mind that the number of Guix users will be
dramatically enhanced by making Guix easier for a novice to understand
and use.

You are entering the stage of the process where interface and
documentation decisions will be set in stone and these will have a
strong effect on downstream Guix adoption.

IMO, if you do nothing you will emerge with a hacker-friendly solution
with self limiting adoption. That is why I think you should turn your
focus toward usability and actively make compromises toward novice
users.

- George