subject: Computer Irritation: Of Bugs and Poor Design [print this page] Computer Irritation: Of Bugs and Poor Design
Pounding fists, cursing, throwing things- even smashing computers- the Internet (and computing in general) seem to have the potential to drive people to the brink of losing it. Everyone gets angry with the computer or the Internet from time to time. Let's look at some of the reasons.
The bug. Most of us feel comfortable when we have some control over our environment or task we are performing. A bug is a glitch in code or a corruption in a program that prevents us from completing a task. It may delete whatever work you've done so far and send you back to the beginning, or prevent you from going any further. Application forms diligently worked on for over 40 minutes cannot be saved and may disappear in a flash. You may find yourself unable to continue because a bug keeps returning you to a pop up or button menu that won't register, or you may require a 'none of the above' answer that is not included among the options. It is a jungle out there and it is depressing to know if you're searching for a job online that most of your resumes won't be read anyway.
Poor design. We all just want a smooth productive session on the computer but sometimes find hours of our time wasted in frustration at being unable to complete tasks. Weren't computers supposed to speed things up for us, not slow us down? Often, it's not really our fault; if programs and web pages were designed more clearly, making the highest priority items the most visible, it would save us all a lot of time. Unfortunately, the people good at programming are not necessarily good at interface design and vice versa.
Give me a cure! Unfortunately, there isn't a fix for our computing woes. The computer is just too complicated. Once the computer is as easy as a toaster to use, then we'll have truly made it. Or when the computer becomes Star Trek-like, and you never even see it, but you walk around asking it questions and getting fantastic answers in return. Until then, though, the best solution is to upgrade your brain! Learn about the computer you are using. Learn how to use it and make it work for you. Then maybe you can steer clear of some of the headaches while we wait for the day when we just use the computer and don't have to worry about blue screens of death.
