On Sep 23, 2008, at 6:15 PM, Sandy Harris wrote:
From Slashdot: Psychologists gave university students phony
popups with various malware warning signs. Many just clicked.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080923-study-confirms-users-are-idiots.html
I think it's got to be said that it's not apparent that the end-users
are the /idiots/ who
should be called out for "failing" this study.
"We" gave them these interfaces, protocols and technologies that allow
for things to go
so badly wrong. Nothing in the world required the technology ecosystem
to become
what it is, except design decisions that were (and are) made well out
of the sphere of
influence of mere "idiot users."
This stuff was designed and shepherded to market by the modern
captains of industry,
by rock star developers and wünderkinden.
When a real engineer builds a bridge that falls down, we blame the
engineer, not gravity.
Bad people have always existed in the world. When developers pretend
they don't exist
and people are then victimized, we're supposed to continue to accept
the bluster about
technology rock stars, and therefore conclude that the customers (who
outnumber the
developers by what, 1,000 to 1?) are the "idiots"?
Let's reconsider that. Seriously, let's shout it down. It's a
ridiculous proposition that's
tiring to hear time and again.
I'll even argue from the other direction just to make it complete.
Even if they are all idiots: when a population you serve outnumbers
you by 1,000 to 1
and keeps blowing itself up when using your stuff, it's time to idiot-
proof the product.
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