[pianotech] Horse and buggy users.

[Encore Pianos]

Hi William:

 

I appreciate the civility of your reply even as I may have differing views
on some things.  I will try to respond in the same spirit.  

 

First, I am pleased that the Member Max portion of the new software is
working very well for the home office.  Why wouldn’t I be?   That’s
wonderful.  I won’t tell them not to use it.  End of discussion there.

 

But, as we all know, Member Max and Higher Logic are two separate animals
that don’t necessarily have to exist together.  Each serves different
functions, and the fact that one works well doesn’t mean that the other
works well too.  Because it doesn’t.  I’m not going to flog you with all the
reasons why, safe to say we have beaten that into the ground already and
there is no need to repeat ourselves.  

 

The context that I have thought of a Paradigm Shift is one where, when one
changes the way in which a thing is made or used, the earth shifts
underneath us and the way we do things changes dramatically, and we are
carried along by a new way of doing things that is so obviously better.  The
Paradigm Shift occurs not because it is a new way of doing things, but
ultimately  because the new method  is obviously and indisputably better.
HL is a new way of doing things, yes, but it is demonstrably not better than
the old system at the most basic levels of functionality.  I’m not talking
sexy here, just nuts and bolts functionality for the things most of us need
to do all the time.  I bring up Occam’s Razor, because it does speak very
much to good interface design, things that we want to see in good software,
no matter what it is.  The fact that I can learn to use HL doesn’t mean that
it is good software, or that it is the best choice for what we want to do.
It is poorly organized , and takes too many steps for us to do things.  The
interface sucks.  

 

I think that you preclude the possibility of a real discussion about the
problems of HL by changing the subject to its integration with the whole
package.  Call it distraction or deflection, but we never get to a real  in
depth discussion of the program back and forth with the people who are in
the position to do something about it.  And that is why so many of us have
been frustrated.  

 

Since the National, no one has gotten back to the list to tell us what was
discussed and what was decided in Council about HL.  I had been of the
impression that the lines of communication had opened enough that the
officers and the home office finally understood that doing so was important.
My suspicion is that it was decided to let the barbarians rant, and then
just go ahead and do what you were going to do all along anyway.  I will
readily label that as mere suspicion, since no one has told us readers of
the list who were not in KC or at council what happened. 

Whose responsibility is that?  What confidentialities would be violated by
sharing what went on in open council?  What was decided about HL and/or
there Forum software?

 

My prediction will be that time windows for improvement in HL for speed,
bugs, and interface changes will come and go.  How do you know when a
software developer is lying?  Their spokesperson’s  mouth is moving.  That’s
the industry standard.

 

Will

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of William Monroe
Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 10:12 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Horse and buggy users.

 

Will,

 

I can't say that I condone Israel's approach to "encouraging" everyone to
use the new system.  I can say, however, that your suggestion, you quoted,

 

"If a thing can be done adequately by means of one, it is superfluous to do
it by means of several; for we observe that nature does not employ two
instruments [if] one suffice”.  That’s a pretty good measure for any
software interface design.  By that measure, to claim that the new HL forum
software represents a paradigm shift is laughable."    

It is essential that everyone who reads this forum (and who will eventually
be using the new system) understands that the paradigm shift (it really is)
reaches far beyond email lists.  The new software works wonderfully for so
much of what the home office needs it to do to track and maintain
membership, communications, and the integrating so many needs for the
organization - of which the email list is only one.

 

Please understand, I value the list as much as anyone, and I don't mean to
imply that the new system is as simple as the old.  Neither do I intend to
denigrate any of it's users.  However, there are other considerations for
PTG besides the list.  The new software does a remarkable job filling the
needs of the PTG and incorporating the lists as well.  I'll say it again
because it is extremely important that we on the list fully understand:  the
needs of PTG are much more than just the list.

 

To be sure, the list is important and it was considered.  And, it does
continue to function on the new software.  It is absolutely different.  It
is in some ways more troublesome.  It is in some ways better.  List folks
(and I include myself in that number) need to move past the initial
frustrations, log on, take the time to get set up as your needs see fit, and
learn to use it.  If we simply refuse to use it, it will never work for us.
I'm discovering that as I use it more, it becomes vastly simpler.

 

Again, the new software is a big step forward for the PTG on the
organizational level.  It may complicate the list function for a bit until
we all take the time to learn to use it effectively, but it will happen.

 

William R. Monroe

 

 

 

 

On Wed, Jul 20, 2011 at 8:11 AM, Encore Pianos <encorepianos at metrocast.net>
wrote:



 

Dear Isreal:

 

Hmmmm
.     “:fellow luddites”, “horse and buggy drivers complaining how
difficult it is to start a car”, “horseshit”, “can the attitude”, “small but
loud group who refuse to develop basic web skills” “files YOU PEOPLE were
shoving onto my computer (caps added by me, wow, a conspiracy, what fun!)
“massaging each other’s egos”

 

And now for the real kicker, “the relatively minor glitches that any
paradigm shift entails”.   PARADIGM SHIFT?????!!!!!!!!,  Isn’t that a bit
like a 2 ½  foot tall guy dunking the ball into a basket 2 feet off the
ground and claiming “player of the year?”

 

 

Jon Page doesn’t need me to defend him and I won’t speak for him.  I will
say that I have met Jon and spent a little time with him, and have followed
his posts on the forum over the past years.  Somehow, luddite  never enters
my mind when I think of Jon.  And please note that the group of people you
describe as luddites and horse and buggy drivers includes the following
people, if we are including those who have expressed their lack of
enthusiasm for the new forum:   Del Fandrich, Ron Nossaman, Dale Erwin,
David Andersen,  and David Love; amongst many ohers.

 

I admire both Del and Ron for their approach to problem solving and design,
because they so well apply these variations on “Occam’s Razor”,
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” and “Entities must not be
multiplied beyond necessity”.  It is always  a sign of an elegant and
penetrating mind to seek the simplest and most  direct solution.that
fulfills all necessary criteria.    

 

I think this saying from Saint Thomas Aquinas is most topical when thinking
of software, particularly the HL PIanotech web software:  "If a thing can be
done adequately by means of one, it is superfluous to do it by means of
several; for we observe that nature does not employ two instruments [if] one
suffice”.  That’s a pretty good measure for any software interface design.
By that measure, to claim that the new HL forum software represents a
paradigm shift is laughable.    

 

Will Truitt

 

 

 

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