I just finished reading a most excellent book: Neal Stephenson’s In the Beginning… Was the Command Line.
The title might seem to indicate that this is a very nerdy book, directed at very geeky people that are interested in the history of computer interfaces. But it is no such thing. It is, in fact, a highly entertaining and thought-provoking essay about the dangerous tendency that the so-called modern western culture has to over-simplify things.
Semi-random quote here:
Disney and Apple/Microsoft are in the same business: short-circuiting laborious, explicit verbal communication with expensively designed interfaces. Disney is a sort of user interface unto itself - and more than just graphical. Let’s call it a Sensorial Interface. It can be applied to anything in the world, real or imagined, albeit at staggering expense.
Why are we rejecting explicit word-based interfaces and embracing graphical or sensorial ones - a trend that accounts for the success of both Microsoft and Disney?
Of course, in this book Stephenson talks also about the history of OSes so far (well, that far, because the book was written in 1999, so according to this book Apple is still on the brink of bankruptcy), the fickle nature of users and their irrational behaviour, and why selling OSes is a bad business idea. But that is not what really caught my attention.
What interested me most were the bits about how we (i.e. citizens of the ‘civilized western world’) are increasingly giving up our ability to make choices and judgements in favor of easier-to-digest, simplified versions of life, the universe and everything. It almost made me feel guilty not only for owning an Apple machine, but also for actually *using* the sexy OS it came with. Luckily, in my old age I am becoming less and less dogmatic about OSes, life, the universe and everything, and even editors (!), so I am now using whatever system suits best my current mood and needs (in that order).
But I am babbling. I just meant to say that it is a cool book, and you should read it if (a) you are interested in computers, or (b) you are interested in modern culture, or (c) you enjoy easy-flowing, witty writing. (NOTE: the ORs in the previous sentence are inclusive ORs, not XORs.)
5 comments ↓
I second the recommendation. However: In the book he also argues that graphical/sensororial interfaces are necessary for all except a tech elite though, right? I remember him writing that the choice wasn’t between Disney Africa and the real Africa: for most people, the choice is between Disney Africa and staying at home: the real Africa is too expensive and dangerous to visit.
So it’s not a one-sided jeramiad against GUIs, but a more subtle analysis of the nature of user interface.
Yes, you are right, he does make some valid points in favour of simplifying the interfaces to complex stuff. He does make a strong argument in favour of understanding the choices available, the pros and cons, and making an educated decision. Unfortunately, it seems that nowadays not many users are making well-thought-through decisions.
That is one of the appealing things about the book: it does not dogmatically present one option as The Right One (TM). Sometimes it seems difficult to find such books.
What have you done!
I’ve spent the whole week telling me “No, I don’t need to burn my money in books”. And now it seems this book will perfectly fit next to my bed, so I have no option but get one. Anyway, I must stop solving hard sudokus before sleeping and turn back to books.
I nice review indeed, Ana.
This “book” (it’s really just a long essay) is available online, I think that at the author’s website. So you can just print it out or read it in you computer. OK, I’ll be the first to admit that I like feeling real pages under my fingers, but in this case it’s nice to be able to read it little by little since it’s not that long but it’s more tedious than other things by Neal Stephenson (after all, this is not fiction).
My english is so bad, but I want expresse my congratulations for the handles pictures and say you I have one like the third, the hand with the ball at the door of my bornhome. thank you for remember me it.
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