Comments on: Command Line Interfaces http://www.raizlabs.com/blog/308/command-line-interfaces Mobile experience, user interface design, software and new ideas. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:15:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Endolith http://www.raizlabs.com/blog/308/command-line-interfaces/comment-page-1#comment-1604 Endolith Sun, 01 Mar 2009 03:52:41 +0000 http://www.raizlabs.com/blog/?p=308#comment-1604 "I’ve always been of the opinion that it’s easier to teach people simple systems like this than it is to teach computers to act like people." Well, there are already plenty of poorly-planned crappy interfaces that require the user to spend all their time memorizing arcane commands to get anything done, if that's what you're into. I'm glad someone's actually trying the other alternative, even if it's not as "easy" to develop. Easy for the user >> easy for the developer. I don't like it when people say that Ubiquity is a "command line interface for the web". Command lines suck. They're unintuitive, undiscoverable, unmemorable, and (worst of all) unforgiving. Ubiquity is trying very hard to be none of those things. I like the phrase "language-based interface", but there's probably something even better. “I’ve always been of the opinion that it’s easier to teach people simple systems like this than it is to teach computers to act like people.”

Well, there are already plenty of poorly-planned crappy interfaces that require the user to spend all their time memorizing arcane commands to get anything done, if that’s what you’re into. I’m glad someone’s actually trying the other alternative, even if it’s not as “easy” to develop.

Easy for the user >> easy for the developer.

I don’t like it when people say that Ubiquity is a “command line interface for the web”. Command lines suck. They’re unintuitive, undiscoverable, unmemorable, and (worst of all) unforgiving. Ubiquity is trying very hard to be none of those things. I like the phrase “language-based interface”, but there’s probably something even better.

]]> By: Christopher Blizzard http://www.raizlabs.com/blog/308/command-line-interfaces/comment-page-1#comment-1603 Christopher Blizzard Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:04:50 +0000 http://www.raizlabs.com/blog/?p=308#comment-1603 The Ubiquity guys might have a different opinion on this but I've always been of the opinion that it's easier to teach people simple systems like this than it is to teach computers to act like people. The story that stands out in my head is the original palm with its script. Where it was easier to teach people a simple language instead of trying to teach a computer how to recognize everyone's handwriting. Obviously there's teaching easy stuff and teaching hard stuff, but it seems like Ubiquity might land in the former, not the latter. The Ubiquity guys might have a different opinion on this but I’ve always been of the opinion that it’s easier to teach people simple systems like this than it is to teach computers to act like people.

The story that stands out in my head is the original palm with its script. Where it was easier to teach people a simple language instead of trying to teach a computer how to recognize everyone’s handwriting.

Obviously there’s teaching easy stuff and teaching hard stuff, but it seems like Ubiquity might land in the former, not the latter.

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