Why can't free software GUIs be empowering instead of limiting?
,----[ Quote ]
| But when graphical user interfaces finally did become available, it was a
| fantastic improvement. With a well-designed GUI, you don’t have to memorize a
| whole micro-language of commands and options to get things done. The
| trade-off, at least with the classic “Windows-Icons-Menus-Pointers” (WIMP)
| GUI, however is that it isn’t as expressive: it’s much easier to say the
| common things you need to say, but much harder to say things that the
| programmer didn’t expect you to need. The surface simplicity comes at a
| terrific price in underlying complexity, and that creates practical limits on
| how flexible the system can be.
|
| [...]
|
| Blender, showing the results of my first go at the Gingerbread man tutorial,
| and a whopping lot of menus and buttons. This is definitely not a “luser”
| interface, it’s designed for power users only
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http://www.freesoftwaremagazine.com/columns/why_cant_free_software_guis_be_empowering_instead_limiting
http://tinyurl.com/3yahue
The myth of the CLI is bad is being used against Linux when Microsoft is in
fact _catching up_ by implementing CLIs at the moment.
Related:
10 Reasons Why the Command Line is More User-Friendly than the Desktop
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| Keying is faster than mousing.
|
| It's easier to both give and get help.
|
| Repetitive stress injury comes from the mouse, not the keyboard.
|
| Commands are standard where GUIs are not.
|
| [...]
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http://penguinpetes.com/b2evo/index.php?title=10_reasons_why_the_command_line_is_more_&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
Linux on the line: musings on the CLI / GUI flip-flop
,----[ Quote ]
| People are a funny lot. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. And
| one person’s primary means of instructing a computer is met with disdain by
| another. There’s a perennial battle between mousers and keyboard jockeys,
| and “what’s in” appears to go in cycles.
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http://www.itwire.com/content/view/15449/1141/
Geek to Live: The command line comeback
,----[ Quote ]
| The advent of the Graphical User Interface (GUI) forever
| revolutionized personal computing. A windowed system with point
| and click icons made computers usable for anyone who couldn't deal
| with a black screen and a prompt waiting for arcane textual commands.
| But in recent years, this enormous interface change is coming full
| circle. Amongst power users - and more and more, regular Joe's - the
| command line is making a comeback in modern web and desktop
| applications.
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http://www.lifehacker.com/software/command-line/geek-to-live--the-command-line-comeback-226223.php
http://tinyurl.com/y88w3w
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