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Subject:Re: Magical Thinking and Grimoires From:Michael Lewis <lewism -at- BRANDLE -dot- COM -dot- AU> Date:Wed, 14 Jan 1998 22:55:57 +1100
Bruce Byfield wrote:
> ... I notice that even some advanced users frequently resort to
> what I call "magical thinking." That is, they know that typing a certain
> command with certain parameters will get certain results, but they don't
> understand the details of what thye're doing.
Sandra Charker did well to quote Clarke's "Any sufficiently advanced
technology is indistinguishable from magic", but then cut the ground out
from under her own feet by saying that "current technology is by
definition not advanced, so that's not relevant". But surely, in the
interpretation of Clarke's comment, the "advancedness" of a technology
depends on the user, not on the overall state of the art. Refer to any
of the squillion SF stories about basic terrestrial technology blowing
the minds of simple-minded natives on other worlds. Or read H. Rider
Haggard.
Damien Braniff also pressed a good button when he drew attention to the
difference between "how it works" and "how to use it". Whether the user
needs any understanding of design, internals, etc, depends entirely on
what they want to achieve. For unsophisticated users, a user guide is
simply a cookbook; they just follow the instructions. Only when a user
tries to go beyond the available recipes do they need more in-depth
understanding: they need to develop their own recipes.
--
Michael Lewis
Brandle Pty Limited, Sydney, Australia
PO Box 1249, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012
Suite 8, The Watertower, 1 Marian St, Redfern 2016
Tel +61-2-9310-2224 ... Fax +61-2-9310-5056
