Invisible Technology?

Invisible Technology: A 'Ramble-on'

I am thinking and writing. At once. So if you find the piece incoherent, my apologies. Do leave a comment and I'll fix it. Why should technology invisible? In my opinion usability and simplification are directly proportional. Now, some may think 'simplification' is product simplification. No, in this context when I say 'simplify' I mean 'make the product's USE simple' NOT the product itself. This weblog uses an XML-RPC API to make publishing content easier for me. I don't have to know HTML or any other wbe programming languages to host a site and update it regularly. It is just 'I login. I write. I Publish' But in the background so much is happening, I dont even realise it. I don't have to. As long as my blog's working fine I am happy. It could be XML-RPC or UML-ABC I don't care... not because I am insensitive to the programmer, but I am ignorant! So are most users of technology. It makes sense to keep technology in the background. No funky jargon. No fancy acronyms. No code. Just the solution. Simple. No 'technical' error messages, No 'The instruction failed at location X200076abcy... ' It scares me. It could be a washing machine or a microwave or a website or a bike; as long as I can operate them with minimal or no help I am happy. Else, I'll call your customer support (each call costs something for the manufacturer) Take google. Even my mom who has seen a computer probably only thrice in her life knows what to do with it. But it is one helluva technology. With whatever little I contribute, It does amazing things I like it because it is not like those 'advanced searches' that ask me to provide a lot of information and they often have cryptic terminology! So simpler is better. You do your 'advanced' stuff, but leave me out of it! Keep the technology off-me. I am interested only in 'so whatchu got for me?' than 'what scripting language do you use for running your website?' For, I am interested in your story. And not on how you wrote it. Remember, drama's when the audience cries. Not when the actors cry. Also read: Usability: The disappearence of Information Architecture -Kingsley Jegan
Do users appreciate good IA on large sites?--Madhu Menon

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