- From: Caroline Jarrett <caroline.jarrett@effortmark.co.uk>
- Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2005 17:31:41 -0000
- To: <www-forms@w3.org>
Hi all, I'm a longtime lurker on the list, and now I feel it's time to break silence to comment on this: > > People are not so stupid. They know how to install plugins. > It's not a question of stupidity. Here are some reasons why plugins are a barrier: 1. Many corporates and other large organisations have policies about plugins. You could get fired for installing something that isn't approved. 2. Many of us understand plugins all too well. We know exactly how they work and we choose not to engage with them. 3. But there is a huge, huge group of users out there who are by no means stupid but their expertise lies in topics other than computing and the Internet. Example: my dad. He's got an MA and PhD. He's retired from two demanding, intellectual careers. He's not stupid and he's not ignorant, but he's got no idea whatsover about plugins or installing them and would need to call me for help. And it's not just seniors. Example: my sister. She also has two degrees and a demanding job at a university. She uses all sorts of technology every day but she doesn't mess with it. She'd also have to call me for help. If Xforms is only for people in small organisations or individuals, who don't care what they put on their computers, and who are skilled programmers: then we have a big problem. Best, Caroline Jarrett caroline.jarrett@effortmark.co.uk 01525 370379 Effortmark Ltd Usability - Forms - Surveys
Received on Tuesday, 1 November 2005 03:13:08 UTC