Facebook, that time gobbler that so many can't do without and so many hate, is at it again changing the way it works.
Yesterday I posted a picture on Flickr and then wrote a note on Facebook with a link to the picture. When I clicked return, the picture was showing on my message list. A few friends commented on it and I saw the picture above their comments.
Today as I scrolled through my list of messages, the picture was gone but the text remained. I left a comment about it, and one friend said she hadn't seen it before and now she did.
One of the first rules of good human interface is consistency. If I do a certain thing in a certain set of circumstances, I should be able to get a similar result each and every time.
Facebook is not alone in inconsistent user interfaces. Microsoft, Apple, and many others confuse users time after time.
Through iTunes I download Wisconsin Public Radio's "To the Best of Our Knowledge" podcasts, receiving two each week. Suddenly, about four weeks ago I was getting only one. Last week I got none. This week I got one. With a little email help from the TTBOOK host, Jim Fleming, I figured out that iTunes or somebody has decided that I don't need podcasts that I've already downloaded, even if they were from two or more years ago. TTBOOK does rebroadcast programs and thus republishes the podcasts. But shouldn't I be the one to decide that I don't want to listen to an old program again?
Microsoft Office 2004 for the Mac had programmable macros with an extensive, easily used description for each available function. Microsoft decided to take macros out in Office 2008. They said users should write AppleScripts instead. I'll just say that AppleScript is a byzantine programming language. Microsoft decided to put macros back in Office 2011, but many old macros don't work or only work erratically. And the descriptions of the functions are often incomplete.
I'm sure many readers have their own tales of frustration about how software, computers, cars, and customer service departments work. So many of what we depend on may be produced efficiently, but do we get effective results using them?
Showing posts with label Microsoft Office. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Microsoft Office. Show all posts
Monday, September 10, 2012
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Quote of the day - Ease of use
"Everything syncs without us having to think about it." - Apple CEO Steve Jobs, 2011-06-06, on introducing iCloud
Hey Steve! How about coming to my house and think about syncing my iPod and MacBook Pro? I have spent I don't know how many hours trying to restore dropped calendars and contacts or remove duplicate entries in either.
Maybe it's Microsoft's fault. These problems seem to have started when I switched from Office 2008 to Office 2011. Microsoft replaced Entourage in the former with Outlook in the latter. Similar software, but as usual, the new improved version can be several steps backward.
I don't know how many times I've searched in Apple's and Microsoft's support pages. Lots and lots of people report the problem, but few people, if any, answer with a solid long term solution. I've tried some, and some have worked for a while. But like the infamous cat, it always comes back.
I've called AppleCare and got some advice that sort of helped. But the cat came back.
I looked in Apple's support pages and did find a more detailed solution. It sort of seems to have worked, but I had duplicates going back to 2002, like 20 Christmas days on the same day and six voice lessons on the same day. I've spent well over an hour eliminating the duplicates in 2002. At least for the holidays I won't have to delete duplicates in later years, but all those other activities, it remains to be seen.
Also, I don't know what the side effects of deleting ALL the files in the cache folder. There was stuff for TurboTax, Google Earth, Adobe, and I've forgotten what else. At least they are backed up on my Time Machine.
Ah! Time Machine, that marvelous hourly backup in the background. Background? Hah! When the backup is busy for over an hour, lots of other things slow down and certainly make me think about it.
No, I'm not going to go over to the dark side. Microsoft Office is enough.
But I certainly wish you would run a company that is more efficient than the IRS, which contrary to Republican doctrine, does a nice job of co-operating with private companies to make reporting and refunds quick.
P.S. Thanks to the messed up composing page in Google's Blogger, I couldn't post this right away. Or maybe it was because Apple's instructions to delete the cache. I fixed the problem by quitting and restarting Firefox.
Hey Steve! How about coming to my house and think about syncing my iPod and MacBook Pro? I have spent I don't know how many hours trying to restore dropped calendars and contacts or remove duplicate entries in either.
Maybe it's Microsoft's fault. These problems seem to have started when I switched from Office 2008 to Office 2011. Microsoft replaced Entourage in the former with Outlook in the latter. Similar software, but as usual, the new improved version can be several steps backward.
I don't know how many times I've searched in Apple's and Microsoft's support pages. Lots and lots of people report the problem, but few people, if any, answer with a solid long term solution. I've tried some, and some have worked for a while. But like the infamous cat, it always comes back.
I've called AppleCare and got some advice that sort of helped. But the cat came back.
I looked in Apple's support pages and did find a more detailed solution. It sort of seems to have worked, but I had duplicates going back to 2002, like 20 Christmas days on the same day and six voice lessons on the same day. I've spent well over an hour eliminating the duplicates in 2002. At least for the holidays I won't have to delete duplicates in later years, but all those other activities, it remains to be seen.
Also, I don't know what the side effects of deleting ALL the files in the cache folder. There was stuff for TurboTax, Google Earth, Adobe, and I've forgotten what else. At least they are backed up on my Time Machine.
Ah! Time Machine, that marvelous hourly backup in the background. Background? Hah! When the backup is busy for over an hour, lots of other things slow down and certainly make me think about it.
No, I'm not going to go over to the dark side. Microsoft Office is enough.
But I certainly wish you would run a company that is more efficient than the IRS, which contrary to Republican doctrine, does a nice job of co-operating with private companies to make reporting and refunds quick.
P.S. Thanks to the messed up composing page in Google's Blogger, I couldn't post this right away. Or maybe it was because Apple's instructions to delete the cache. I fixed the problem by quitting and restarting Firefox.
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