Comments on: Lazy Sunday thoughts about design and repair

By: James Marwood

James Marwood — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:01:50 +0000

I think that making things easy to repair is the flip side to the poka-yoke mistake proofing idea. In that one would aim to design out failure, for example by removing manual data entry. However this constrains creativity and can turn a job with variation into a simple widget-cranking activity.

By making it easy to repair an error you give people permission to experiment, and to make mistakes. It’s an exciting concept. CMD+Z or Time Machine for example, or even PVR time shifting devices for fixing errors in the TV schedulue, are all ways of reducing the risk of experimentation.

By: HARSHA

HARSHA — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:23:04 +0000

HI JP

I too am from India, what you have written about our (i don’t know if you permit to call it as “our”) country is true to every letter. But …but …. something is making me uncomfortable…… the truth is bitter… but …. :(

By: Paul Downey

Paul Downey — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:22:45 +0000

I liked the fly when I first came across it enough to photograph it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/psd/142923293/

but was horrified by this German over engineering encountered last month:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/psd/2430364131/

“pee-shooters”, indeed!

By: Steve Ellwood

Steve Ellwood — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:15:48 +0000

There’s a corollary to that; the damage you notice should be repaired if the cost of repair is less than the dissonance you’re caused.

I got horribly offended by littering; teenagers here (everywhere) occasionally drop litter; fag packets. Sure, you can feel annoyed about it; and yes, if they are there, ask them to pick up after themselves.

Now, if I see their litter… I’ll pick it up, rather than be offended every time I see it.

Which is, of course, what I do when I see the grocer’s apostrophe used in a wiki I can edit.

Then, at least, rather than feel offended, I feel virtuous – and never wince when reading the page again.

By: DE

DE — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:01:46 +0000

Think it has always been present on WIMP systems.

By: JP

JP — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:34:39 +0000

You’re right, Kerry. I remember the trash can on the Mac IIe but I didn’t realise it was there on the Mac from the start.

By: Kerry Buckley

Kerry Buckley — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:39:59 +0000

I started wondering whether Mac desktops used to be “dirtier” before someone thought of putting the Trash can there.

Surely the trash can was there from the beginning? Although of course technically it's now on the dock rather than the desktop.