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Why do they make computers harder to use and program?
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Why do they make computers harder to use and program than they need to be? Here are some examples:
- Why do most spreadsheets and programming languages do trigonometric functions in radians, when most people use degrees?
- Why do most of the C-based languages (including Java, JavaScript, and Perl) have two different syntax forms to call functions with, depending on which function you want?
- Why does Microsoft change the name of everything from what others called it before (a "directory" suddenly became a "folder", and a "procedure" became a "method").
- In the 1980s, kids all over were programming computers. With the change to Windows, this suddenly stopped, as Microsoft made programming a lot harder to do. Why?
- Why have all of the easy-to-use programming languages been replaced with the hard-to-use C derivatives?
- Why are they making HTML harder to use by taking away features and not replacing them?
- Why do the operating systems get more complicated and take up more memory? They aren't any more useful.
- Why do most spreadsheets and programming languages do trigonometric functions in radians, when most people use degrees?
- Why do most of the C-based languages (including Java, JavaScript, and Perl) have two different syntax forms to call functions with, depending on which function you want?
- Why does Microsoft change the name of everything from what others called it before (a "directory" suddenly became a "folder", and a "procedure" became a "method").
- In the 1980s, kids all over were programming computers. With the change to Windows, this suddenly stopped, as Microsoft made programming a lot harder to do. Why?
- Why have all of the easy-to-use programming languages been replaced with the hard-to-use C derivatives?
- Why are they making HTML harder to use by taking away features and not replacing them?
- Why do the operating systems get more complicated and take up more memory? They aren't any more useful.
Daylight-saving time uses more gasoline
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 266
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Posting Whiz in Training
>Why do they make computers harder to use and program than they need to be? Here >are some >examples:
>- Why do most spreadsheets and programming languages do trigonometric functions >:in radians, >when most people use degrees?
Because these things have been designed by geniuses for geniuses. I guess it is a classical case of if you are not with us then you must be against us!
>- Why do most of the C-based languages (including Java, JavaScript, and Perl) have >two different >syntax forms to call functions with, depending on which function you want?
Same as the above
>- Why does Microsoft change the name of everything from what others called it before >(a >"directory" suddenly became a "folder", and a "procedure" became a "method").
To facilitate stealing. Let me give a practical example. If you make a programming called java which runs byte-code on virtual machine then I cant just steal it from you and sell it as it is? No at the very least I have to change its name. so java becomes C#, byte-code become IL, and Java virtual machine becomes CLR. The functioning does not have to differ just as long as the name is different. Now you cant take me to court so easily.
>- In the 1980s, kids all over were programming computers. With the change to >Windows, this >suddenly stopped, as Microsoft made programming a lot harder to do. >Why?
Who knows how that evil genius’s mind works
>- Why have all of the easy-to-use programming languages been replaced with the >hard-to-use C >derivatives?
I have already answered that in part in the first answer. I guess as more geniuses join our society we have to increase the number of hard to use programming languages. How else are we going to separate the hardcore from the wanabes?
>- Why are they making HTML harder to use by taking away features and not >replacing them?
Same as above
>- Why do the operating systems get more complicated and take up more memory? >They aren't any >more useful.
Ah. Now that was a stroke of genius! Grudgingly I have to admit so myself! When microsoft first stole the GUI and he sold it they acquired a taste for money. Now despite the fact that more victims started buying windows they realized that the fools can be exploited continuously! Here is what you do. You make an operating system now. Everyone buys it. then you create a new one and drop support for the old one. This is how you force the fools to buy the new one. But since there are intelligent people such as yourself who might suspect the trick you make the new one more complicated and pretend that that makes it better. A classic case of make it cheap, sell it cheap, sell it twice! (well in this case more than twice!)
>- Why do most spreadsheets and programming languages do trigonometric functions >:in radians, >when most people use degrees?
Because these things have been designed by geniuses for geniuses. I guess it is a classical case of if you are not with us then you must be against us!
>- Why do most of the C-based languages (including Java, JavaScript, and Perl) have >two different >syntax forms to call functions with, depending on which function you want?
Same as the above
>- Why does Microsoft change the name of everything from what others called it before >(a >"directory" suddenly became a "folder", and a "procedure" became a "method").
To facilitate stealing. Let me give a practical example. If you make a programming called java which runs byte-code on virtual machine then I cant just steal it from you and sell it as it is? No at the very least I have to change its name. so java becomes C#, byte-code become IL, and Java virtual machine becomes CLR. The functioning does not have to differ just as long as the name is different. Now you cant take me to court so easily.
>- In the 1980s, kids all over were programming computers. With the change to >Windows, this >suddenly stopped, as Microsoft made programming a lot harder to do. >Why?
Who knows how that evil genius’s mind works
>- Why have all of the easy-to-use programming languages been replaced with the >hard-to-use C >derivatives?
I have already answered that in part in the first answer. I guess as more geniuses join our society we have to increase the number of hard to use programming languages. How else are we going to separate the hardcore from the wanabes?
>- Why are they making HTML harder to use by taking away features and not >replacing them?
Same as above
>- Why do the operating systems get more complicated and take up more memory? >They aren't any >more useful.
Ah. Now that was a stroke of genius! Grudgingly I have to admit so myself! When microsoft first stole the GUI and he sold it they acquired a taste for money. Now despite the fact that more victims started buying windows they realized that the fools can be exploited continuously! Here is what you do. You make an operating system now. Everyone buys it. then you create a new one and drop support for the old one. This is how you force the fools to buy the new one. But since there are intelligent people such as yourself who might suspect the trick you make the new one more complicated and pretend that that makes it better. A classic case of make it cheap, sell it cheap, sell it twice! (well in this case more than twice!)
Last edited by quintoncoert; Aug 16th, 2007 at 5:20 am.
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 15,348
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Originally Posted by MidiMagic 
- Why do most spreadsheets and programming languages do trigonometric functions in radians, when most people use degrees?
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Originally Posted by MidiMagic
- - Why do most of the C-based languages (including Java, JavaScript, and Perl) have two different syntax forms to call functions with, depending on which function you want?
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Originally Posted by MidiMagic
- - Why does Microsoft change the name of everything from what others called it before (a "directory" suddenly became a "folder", and a "procedure" became a "method").
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Originally Posted by MidiMagic
- - In the 1980s, kids all over were programming computers. With the change to Windows, this suddenly stopped, as Microsoft made programming a lot harder to do. Why?
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Originally Posted by MidiMagic
-- Why have all of the easy-to-use programming languages been replaced with the hard-to-use C derivatives?
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Originally Posted by MidiMagic
-- Why do the operating systems get more complicated and take up more memory? They aren't any more useful.
Don't PM me with questions -- you might get a nasty PM in response. If you have a question then post it in one of the forums.
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Originally Posted by MidiMagic
Why do they make computers harder to use and program than they need to be? Here are some examples:
- Why do most spreadsheets and programming languages do trigonometric functions in radians, when most people use degrees?
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•
- In the 1980s, kids all over were programming computers. With the change to Windows, this suddenly stopped, as Microsoft made programming a lot harder to do. Why?
•
•
•
•
- Why have all of the easy-to-use programming languages been replaced with the hard-to-use C derivatives?
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•
•
•
- Why are they making HTML harder to use by taking away features and not replacing them?
•
•
•
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- Why do the operating systems get more complicated and take up more memory? They aren't any more useful.
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,039
Reputation:
Solved Threads: 139
> Why do they make computers harder to use and program than they need to be? Here are some examples:
Why do you assume that computers are harder to use and program, instead of assuming you were a lot smarter when you were younger?
> Why do most spreadsheets and programming languages do trigonometric functions in radians, when most people use degrees?
Why do you expect them to behave differently than the behavior they have had in all the history of mathematics? Why do you expect it to default to a version of the function that's usually slower to implement?
> Why do most of the C-based languages (including Java, JavaScript, and Perl) have two different syntax forms to call functions with, depending on which function you want?
What makes you think that having braces anywhere in its syntax makes a language "C-based"?
> In the 1980s, kids all over were programming computers. With the change to Windows, this suddenly stopped, as Microsoft made programming a lot harder to do. Why?
What makes you think programming was any harder to do?
> Why have all of the easy-to-use programming languages been replaced with the hard-to-use C derivatives?
Why do you act as if the invention of new programming languages means that older ones are replaced?
> Why are they making HTML harder to use by taking away features and not replacing them?
They haven't removed any features.
> Why do the operating systems get more complicated and take up more memory? They aren't any more useful.
Yes they are.
Why do you assume that computers are harder to use and program, instead of assuming you were a lot smarter when you were younger?
> Why do most spreadsheets and programming languages do trigonometric functions in radians, when most people use degrees?
Why do you expect them to behave differently than the behavior they have had in all the history of mathematics? Why do you expect it to default to a version of the function that's usually slower to implement?
> Why do most of the C-based languages (including Java, JavaScript, and Perl) have two different syntax forms to call functions with, depending on which function you want?
What makes you think that having braces anywhere in its syntax makes a language "C-based"?
> In the 1980s, kids all over were programming computers. With the change to Windows, this suddenly stopped, as Microsoft made programming a lot harder to do. Why?
What makes you think programming was any harder to do?
> Why have all of the easy-to-use programming languages been replaced with the hard-to-use C derivatives?
Why do you act as if the invention of new programming languages means that older ones are replaced?
> Why are they making HTML harder to use by taking away features and not replacing them?
They haven't removed any features.
> Why do the operating systems get more complicated and take up more memory? They aren't any more useful.
Yes they are.
All my posts may be redistributed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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- Why do most spreadsheets and programming languages do trigonometric functions in radians, when most people use degrees?
•
•
•
•
- Why do most of the C-based languages (including Java, JavaScript, and Perl) have two different syntax forms to call functions with, depending on which function you want?
•
•
•
•
- Why does Microsoft change the name of everything from what others called it before (a "directory" suddenly became a "folder", and a "procedure" became a "method").
•
•
•
•
- In the 1980s, kids all over were programming computers. With the change to Windows, this suddenly stopped, as Microsoft made programming a lot harder to do. Why?
•
•
•
•
- Why have all of the easy-to-use programming languages been replaced with the hard-to-use C derivatives?
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- Why are they making HTML harder to use by taking away features and not replacing them?
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- Why do the operating systems get more complicated and take up more memory?
The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.
>Why do they make computers harder to use and program than they need to be? Here are some examples:
Are they? Never noticed. But I have more than half a braincell.
> - Why do most spreadsheets and programming languages do trigonometric functions in radians, when most people use degrees?
Most people that count when it comes to spreadsheets and programming languages use radians.
All scientists and mathematicians for example. Others using those tools usually have little interest in mathematics, especially trigonometric functions (and those that do know how to do the conversion easily enough).
> - Why do most of the C-based languages (including Java, JavaScript, and Perl) have two different syntax forms to call functions with, depending on which function you want?
flexibility.
> - Why does Microsoft change the name of everything from what others called it before (a "directory" suddenly became a "folder", and a "procedure" became a "method").
first is marketing, it was decided after speaking with a lot of non-technical users that the term more easily fits their concept of what they're doing (so it's to make computers easier to use), second is not Microsoft.
> - In the 1980s, kids all over were programming computers. With the change to Windows, this suddenly stopped, as Microsoft made programming a lot harder to do. Why?
In the 1980s hardly anyone was programming because hardly anyone had a computer.
The percentage of kids programming may have gone down, the total number is now greater than ever.
Ergo, your argument is once again bogus.
> - Why have all of the easy-to-use programming languages been replaced with the hard-to-use C derivatives?
Not hard to use at all... And they've not been replaced either. But you may have to look for them a bit harder as they are no longer hyped, it has long since been discovered that they're less potent.
> - Why are they making HTML harder to use by taking away features and not replacing them?
They're not in fact, they're making it a lot more flexible and safe by making it harder to do stupid things and making it less easy to get away with blatant ignorance and mistakes that lead to ambiguous code (and then blaming the browser for not doing what you wanted it to).
> - Why do the operating systems get more complicated and take up more memory? They aren't any more useful.
Precisely because they ARE more useful.
Of course idiot kids don't know the first thing about what they're ranting about and come up with silly ideas like yours, blaming their own incompetence and ignorance on a hostile world that doesn't give them everything they want on a golden platter even before they knew they wanted it.
Are they? Never noticed. But I have more than half a braincell.
> - Why do most spreadsheets and programming languages do trigonometric functions in radians, when most people use degrees?
Most people that count when it comes to spreadsheets and programming languages use radians.
All scientists and mathematicians for example. Others using those tools usually have little interest in mathematics, especially trigonometric functions (and those that do know how to do the conversion easily enough).
> - Why do most of the C-based languages (including Java, JavaScript, and Perl) have two different syntax forms to call functions with, depending on which function you want?
flexibility.
> - Why does Microsoft change the name of everything from what others called it before (a "directory" suddenly became a "folder", and a "procedure" became a "method").
first is marketing, it was decided after speaking with a lot of non-technical users that the term more easily fits their concept of what they're doing (so it's to make computers easier to use), second is not Microsoft.
> - In the 1980s, kids all over were programming computers. With the change to Windows, this suddenly stopped, as Microsoft made programming a lot harder to do. Why?
In the 1980s hardly anyone was programming because hardly anyone had a computer.
The percentage of kids programming may have gone down, the total number is now greater than ever.
Ergo, your argument is once again bogus.
> - Why have all of the easy-to-use programming languages been replaced with the hard-to-use C derivatives?
Not hard to use at all... And they've not been replaced either. But you may have to look for them a bit harder as they are no longer hyped, it has long since been discovered that they're less potent.
> - Why are they making HTML harder to use by taking away features and not replacing them?
They're not in fact, they're making it a lot more flexible and safe by making it harder to do stupid things and making it less easy to get away with blatant ignorance and mistakes that lead to ambiguous code (and then blaming the browser for not doing what you wanted it to).
> - Why do the operating systems get more complicated and take up more memory? They aren't any more useful.
Precisely because they ARE more useful.
Of course idiot kids don't know the first thing about what they're ranting about and come up with silly ideas like yours, blaming their own incompetence and ignorance on a hostile world that doesn't give them everything they want on a golden platter even before they knew they wanted it.
As people are clearly allowed to attack me but I'm not allowed to defend myself, I no longer post to this site.
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,203
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Originally Posted by Rashakil Fol
> Why do they make computers harder to use and program than they need to be? Here are some examples:
Why do you assume that computers are harder to use and program, instead of assuming you were a lot smarter when you were younger?
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> Why do most spreadsheets and programming languages do trigonometric functions in radians, when most people use degrees?
Why do you expect them to behave differently than the behavior they have had in all the history of mathematics? Why do you expect it to default to a version of the function that's usually slower to implement?
The trigonometric functions in math textbooks do not have an inherent preference for one measure orver the other. They return the actual angle, not a particular measure of the angle.
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> Why do most of the C-based languages (including Java, JavaScript, and Perl) have two different syntax forms to call functions with, depending on which function you want?
What makes you think that having braces anywhere in its syntax makes a language "C-based"?
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> In the 1980s, kids all over were programming computers. With the change to Windows, this suddenly stopped, as Microsoft made programming a lot harder to do. Why?
What makes you think programming was any harder to do?
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> Why have all of the easy-to-use programming languages been replaced with the hard-to-use C derivatives?
Why do you act as if the invention of new programming languages means that older ones are replaced?
Bill Gates designed Windows so you have to do most real programming in C variants.
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> Why are they making HTML harder to use by taking away features and not replacing them?
They haven't removed any features.
- Centering images
- Quoting part of a numbered list as a reference from another work
- Hyperlinks to the middle of a page
- Creating multiple columns inside other objects
Doi you really expect the transitional doctypes to continue to be supported.
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> Why do the operating systems get more complicated and take up more memory? They aren't any more useful.
Yes they are.
I used to be able to rename a group of files using a template. This is no longer possible.
Daylight-saving time uses more gasoline
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Originally Posted by Hamrick
I guess because radians simplify calculations and it's easy enough to turn the result in radians into degrees for human consumption.
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I can only think of one: function(args). What's the other?
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Maybe they were trying to make the names make more sense to the average computer user. The icon for a subdirectory in windows is a folder after all.
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There's a huge learning curve from programming on a command line to programming GUIs.
I think Microsoft saw itself losing the market to amateurs, and so decided to stop this "dangerous" activity to preserve its monopoly.
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Easy and hard are subjective. I think a lot of the newer languages are easier to use because they're really expressive. You can do a lot with a little bit of code.
The old methods had static scoping of variables. The code always did what you told it to do. Now, you have to know about how the variables (and especially arrays and objects) are structured inside the computer in order to know whether or not a function will return the proper value. And they took away the ability to pause execution for a given time interval and to generate sounds or waveforms in the program.
This is not just an annoyance. It prevents certain kinds of scientific research from being done. MS-DOS computers are still in use for this research, much to the annoyance of computer support departments of research facilities.
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The only features that are taken away are the ones that only a single dying browser supports and nobody uses. Like <blink>.
- Center an image reliably
- Quote from a reference source only part of a numeric list
- Make a link to a point in the middle of a web page
- Create columns inside other objects
- Make existing pages written under the old standards work
Do you really expect the transitional doctypes to continue to be supported?
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Because users want more features and more flashy.
Last edited by MidiMagic; Aug 16th, 2007 at 10:07 pm.
Daylight-saving time uses more gasoline
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Join Date: Aug 2005
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Originally Posted by MidiMagic
Wrong. They changed things to allow multitasking.
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Originally Posted by MidiMagic
I used to be able to rename a group of files using a template. This is no longer possible.
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Originally Posted by MidiMagic
And they took away the ability to pause execution for a given time interval and to generate sounds or waveforms in the program
Last edited by Ancient Dragon; Aug 16th, 2007 at 10:18 pm.
Don't PM me with questions -- you might get a nasty PM in response. If you have a question then post it in one of the forums.
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