> On Tue, 2007-01-16 at 11:19 +0000, Michael Rigby-Jones wrote:
> > >Yep, MS screwed up by making v1 too annoying, but thanks to the 
> > >nerds, it won't get improved on.  This is despite everyone wanting 
> > >the 'computer agent' for years.  They got it, and then 
> decided they 
> > >didn't want a cartoon paperclip being smarter than them.
> > 
> > Or perhaps, like me, they didn't want a distracting 
> animated paper clip bouncing around in the bottom of their 
> screen whilst trying to do some work.  I'm pretty sure I'm 
> not a nerd, but someone should have invented a virtual pair 
> of wire cutters to fix that paperclip.  If I want to check if 
> there is a better way to do something I use google, or maybe 
> even the help file.
> 
> Agreed. The problem wasn't so much "the help". The problem 
> was the "unasked for help".
> 
> It was by default on, it was by default VERY distracting, and 
> yes, you COULD probably learn stuff from it, but it was SO 
> distracting all I wanted to learn was how to shut it off, 
> permanently. Funny thing is if I recall correctly, you COULD 
> ask IT how to turn it off, and it would eventually tell you.
> 
> If it had had a simple "off" button I wouldn't have 
> complained as much, but turning the thing off meant going 
> through several options, and even after clicking it off, 
> there was a stupid animation of it "leaving".
> 
> We aren't using kids toys. When someone pays hundreds of 
> dollars for a piece of software and then is confronted by an 
> animated character you can't really blame them for feeling a 
> little "annoyed".


See, nerds.  It's a bit like asking a journalist for advice on the best word
processor; they're obsessed by the word count feature, which no-one else on
Earth gives a rats arse about.  Pointless.

Yeah, v1 Clippy was annoying, but later versions were better (Right-click,
hide).  No one noticed, of course, having been scared of by the nerds
shouting 'CLIPPY SUCKS".

The "unasked for help" sums it up.  Done right, the intention of Clippy was
to watch what you were doing, and make the occasional suggestion.  This is
no different to watching a collegue at work, and tapping them on the
shoulder to say 'You know...".  Every here has probably done that, now
think: do you prefer to be the tapper or the tappee.  Sure you can Google
the answer, but what if never occurs to you to ask the question?  There's a
reason you're tapping those people on the shoulder...

Humpf, how dare an annoying cartoon from a kids toy offer ME advice.  I'm
not a luser, I wield the clue stick around here.

As far as the iPod, I can't remember having an opinion one way or the other,
except for the fact it had a hard drive in it, which means it chews thru
power and breaks when you drops it.  But that's just mere nerdy technical
complaints.

I did have an opinion on the early MP3 players, and they sucked.  32Mb and
$$$$?  Too right they sucked, and everyone except the 'early
adopters/posers' agreed.  Get it up to a gig, then I'll be interested.  And
lo, along came the Shuffle.

Tony

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