[Sigia-l] IA and Traditional Software

[Listera]

"Lyle_Kantrovich at cargill.com" wrote:

> Where within MS-Word, Outlook, Visio or Notepad would you see evidence
> of an Information Architecture?

Most MS products distinguish themselves by their pathetic lack of attention
paid to IA, as well as interface design.

I have personally sat in on seminars where MS people told attendees (mostly
consultants) how depth and complexity (read 'obfuscation') in their software
created billable hour opportunities for 'partners', with a glee in their
eyes. I can overlook this in a small company that is unable to hire IAs or
competent interface designers despite good intentions, but for a company
with an R&D budget larger than the GNPs of most small size countries, it's
plain inexcusable.

What helps them make money, the ubiquity of their software, also guarantees
that pervasive mistakes cannot be so easily rectified as it would upset the
huge user base. The whole thing is disheartening.

Best,

Ziya