[wp-hackers] Data recovery (post_status?)

[Elliotte Harold]

Owen Winkler wrote:

> It seems I have a very different idea about how users should be 
> responsible for the sanctity of their data, and that adding features to 
> account for (however fleeting, accidental, or gross) user incompetence 
> are *convenience features* made out to seem required by UI experts.

Poor software design is the fault of the software designer, not the 
user. Software that does not fit users' natural mental model is poorly 
designed. Software that does not support undo is poorly designed. 
Software that requires the user to read manuals to accomplish obvious 
operations is poorly designed.

It's no surprise that most programmers attempt to evade their 
responsibility and pass the blame to end users. What's surprising is 
that end users let them get away with this. Users have sadly been 
trained to think that their misunderstanding is somehow their fault. 
This too, will change. Eventually users will no more put up with a 
poorly designed piece of software than they would a poorly designed car. 
  Until that day comes, software that is better designed will triumph 
over worse designed software. (Notable exception: software that is 
imposed on users from above without free user choice. Most operating 
system and office software falls into this category.)

-- 
Elliotte Rusty Harold  elharo at metalab.unc.edu
XML in a Nutshell 3rd Edition Just Published!
http://www.cafeconleche.org/books/xian3/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0596007647/cafeaulaitA/ref=nosim