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General discussion

Open letter to major software and OS developers

by rbhall1952 Mar 20, 2015 2:19AM PDT

I want to know where to send an open letter to OS and software developers like Microsoft, Apple, and Linux. There are more and more senior citizens, aged 55+, who could use a simpler approach to user interfaces on computers.

I have been a computer geek since the 1970s, but learned from my father that the average person does not really know geek-speak. I finally realized that the average person, whether young or old, should not need to figure out how to use a computer, or the software on it they want to use, like email and browsers.

I plan to compose an open letter about all of this to send to the major software and OS developers, challenging everyone to learn how to create simple, intuitive interfaces for their software and OS products. I just need to know where to post such a letter to get the maximum impact. Thanks in advance for everyone who responds to this request.

Discussion is locked

7 Posts
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I've heard such before and
by r. proffitt Former Forum moderator Mar 20, 2015 2:24AM PDT

If the software interface never changed the app and OS may die off. We saw that in the old DOS apps and more examples are out there.

Imagine if we stuck with questions that were answered with the usual Y/N? or 0 to 9? and text boxes all for the sake of users that want an unchanging interface.

I think change is the way it lives on. For example my Amazon Echo uses an entirely new interface. I love it.
Bob

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Re: I've heard such before and -
by rbhall1952 Mar 20, 2015 4:28AM PDT

You may be right about changing the interface being a good thing for development, but I am thinking that it would be very helpful to senior citizens (60+) if they had a very simple interface with the OS, email programs, and web browsers that they could just learn and use. It could be an option within the OS and the other programs to have such an interface. Once learned, the OS and programs would be easier for said people to use, and they would not have to worry about learning something new later on.

That is the problem that I see as my wife's parents age, as well as some of her cousins who are older. They want to be able to keep in touch, but don't know how to use email and web browser programs very well. Do you see my point here?

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You gave a great reason for elder folk to keep learning.
by r. proffitt Former Forum moderator Mar 20, 2015 4:50AM PDT

If they didn't have to learn new things, well it's on the web why new challenges like this are good for them!

As to the browser, isn't that more of the web site issue? I mean I don't use the browser itself. I use the web site I went to.
Bob

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If you find the answer, let us know.
by wpgwpg Mar 20, 2015 5:11AM PDT

If you look at the MS forums, answers.microsoft.com, especially for the pre-release version of Windows 10, you'll see folks begging and screaming for what you describe. However they just keep on making changes. This is what got them in trouble with Windows 8, and they're making it worse with 10. If they want to make smart phones look like Windows and vice-versa, they should provide a customization option similar to what we've seen with Start8 and Classic Shell. Classic Shell is under 7 MB and installs in no time, so it would seem easy for MS to do it. However they're not listening because they want to tell prospective customers that if you know how to use Windows on one platform, you won't have to learn & train for a different one. Marketing has trumped technical compatibility from one release to the next. We know what that got Sinofsky and Balmer, and Nadela is headed down the same path. You'd think that would be enough for them to learn, but I think they've completely lost their way and are making desperation moves. I'd love to be wrong, but I've been testing the Windows 10 pre-release OS since it first became available 10/1/14, and each released build just makes more changes to the user interface, and they're not changes for the better IMO. Sad

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Re: If you find the answer, let us know.
by rbhall1952 Mar 20, 2015 12:03PM PDT

Perhaps I should just concentrate on Apple and Linux. Maybe one of them will listen. But my question remains - where would I post my open letter for maximum impact?

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Well learning new things is a fact of life.
by orlbuckeye Mar 20, 2015 5:23AM PDT

If the world around us wasn't changing then everything could stay the same. Look at the new cars they have back crash cameras, blind spot warnings, lane change warnings, front crash warning. Next year cars will start getting smart cruise control where your car will slow down if the car in front slows. I new car has at least 50 buttons on the dash board. TV, Microwave, refrigerators ovens a they all are changing.

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This is a great idea.
by movienut2015 Mar 22, 2015 5:53AM PDT

As an option I really like this idea. A Button that could be hit that would bring up a very basic interface with larger buttons and when you held you mouse cursor over a program a text bubble would pop up explaining what the program does and there could videos linked to right on the start menu that would explain all the basic functions.

My mom is in her fifties and she is not stupid or against using new things and she would love to use her computer to keep in touch with family but she has such a hard time find icons, remembering how programs work, and she gets confused by having way too many options on screen when all she wants to do is use email and go shopping.

An option where the programs she never uses don't show up, the incons are bigger, and the computer helps you learn how to use the programs would be perfect for her.

As long as it was just an option you could turn on or off I don't see why anyone would have a problem with this and it would sell computers and OSes to people who are not using them right now so it seems like a good business move too.

If you started this open letter petition, I would sign it in a heartbeat.

I'm sorry I can't answer your question because I have no idea of the answer, maybe try googling foe it.

Still I think it is a great idea and fully support it.

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