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Good point Nicholas. I consider the fact that (nearly) everyone would know
what to do with the red flag more a reflection of cultural knowledge, rather
than a reflection of intuitive design.
--- Forwarded mail from Nicholas Russon <nrusson -at- LAVASYS -dot- COM>
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 11:14:58 -0500
Reply-To: Nicholas Russon <nrusson -at- LAVASYS -dot- COM>
From: Nicholas Russon <nrusson -at- LAVASYS -dot- COM>
Subject: Re: Minimalism
To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
Robert Palmondon wrote (in part):
>Really good intuitive design eliminates the need for a lot of documentation.
>So does less-intuitive design if it's part of a universal standard.
>I've never seen a piece of documentation telling the user to raise the
>little red flag in his mailbox when he wants the carrier to pick up
>a letter.
>
Oh! So that's what that flag is for! Never having lived anywhere
other than towns and cities, I've never had to figure out the
purpose of that item. I rather thought it was for the letter carrier
to indicate to the homeowner that there was mail to be
picked up from the letterbox!
It is impossible to imagine the universe run by a wise, just, and
omnipotent God, but it is quite easy to imagine it run by a board of
gods. If such a board actually exists it operates precisely like the
board of a corporation that is losing money. (H.L. Mencken)
>
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---End of forwarded mail from Nicholas Russon <nrusson -at- LAVASYS -dot- COM>
--
(In God I trust; all others must provide data.)
Theodora Mazza Mechanical Dynamics, Inc.
tmazz -at- adams -dot- com Ann Arbor, Michigan
(313) 913-2537
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