[Sigia-l] Don't Make me Learn

[Nick Hansen]

On Aug 21, 2007, at 11:06 PM, Ziya Oz wrote:

> Couldn't we then extrapolate this
> to countless other technologies that appeared to be too clever for  
> their own
> good but turned out to be used by millions without major upheaval  
> after all?

I want to draw a distinction between interfaces that are novel and  
bridge a particular problem with a modicum of intelligence, say the  
iPod's click wheel, verses those that are deliberately clever.  An  
example of the latter might be the infamous Brown University Graduate  
School website navigation interface circa 2004.  That was something  
that was over-thought, flashy for the sake of being flashy, and even  
after discovering the key that unlocked the navigation offered  
nothing novel or useful to the user.

My use of clever probably didn't come across well in the written  
medium.  I intended it in a disparaging way.

-Nick