+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ I tried a few other options and pasting an image from my editor seems the least-bad among bad options given the formatting on different devices
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+One thing that I definitely think I agree on is the 'separate channel' point. Configuration files are generally not great, nobody wants to use them. What reasons would someone have as a developer to have that, instead of providing the option inside the program itself?
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ a common motivation for this is "headless" software like web servers
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+At the very least, one could argue that you should be able to change anything you can change inside a config file from inside the actual software while it's running (similar to how options typically work)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ To this point you can easily imagine (within some standardized config format) having an external configuration program
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Something that provides a better config experience, and can serve multiple programs
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+ 1
+
+
+ 1
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+But I think more importantly here, having something like config text files or over-configurability in general usually indicates a design failure
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Yes, I think that regardless of your UI for configuration, there are still a lot of downsides. However, maybe better config UX can push it toward "options" in Demetri's terminology?
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Many times it's a straight-up avoidance of design
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ yes absolutely true, that systems with elaborate configuration often are trying not to take any stand on what should be good practice or preferred
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+I should mention one area where "config files" are a generally desired solution, which is when you want to do reproducible automated deployments/builds
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ In this case I would almost not call them config files - at that point it's just an API technically
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+I should mention one area where "config files" are a generally desired solution, which is when you want to do reproducible automated deployments/builds
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Even in these situations though, you can still avoid many configuration values in the first place
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+In this case I would almost not call them config files - at that point it's just an API technically
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ yeah I agree that at this point it is moving toward "essential input"
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+I think that's an interesting and important distinction, because I would certainly tend to class webserver parameters as "config files"
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ yeah and yet we feel very differently about an nginx.conf vs a vimrc
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+ 4
+
+
+ 4
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+I think that there can't be the expectation that the end-user ever has to interact with a configuration at all, for the program to work well. In which case, you have to really have something of value that's gained from the different configuration. What are the power users actually getting out of the configuration? If it's "the program works better for this use case", you should probably find a better way to make it work better for that use case out of the box
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Yeah there is a philosophical underpinning to this
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+That style of configuration I hope we can all agree is a bad thing, a failure of design. Although, I'd be curious to know if you have a concrete example in mind.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ unfortunately one person's nerdsnipe is another person's important ergonomics
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+rob pike intensifies
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Well no Pike is even worse to where he considers color schemes literally net negative haha
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ true, but for the sake of focus let's keep pikebashing to #fishbowl-audience 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ When you have no power to change trivial things, you readily accept them
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 1
+
+
+ 1
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Oh well you said "broadly designed" at first and threw me off
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ If Discord were to have a team of artists come up with 5 new themes, there's a pretty good chance they could come up with something I'd like. Maybe one with rainbow highlights, maybe one that uses pastels. But if they gave me the ability to spend that time to do it myself, I would take a lot more time than the artists to make something way worse.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+ 2
+
+
+ 2
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ For example not detecting the system setting for light/dark theme
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+ 1
+
+
+ 1
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+One question to ask might be "Is the system the power users use better?", because they might actually be making something far easier to do than it was before. For instance, while not exactly a configuration per say, I have a startup script that I've been working on recently, which has reduced the time it takes for me to open up everything that I typically have open from an hour or two to about 30 seconds.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ So is the system designed by the power users better in general, or better for specific cases that wouldn't apply to a large subset of the user base? Does it depend on the situation?
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+If the power user extensions result in a generally better system for everyone, then I feel like that stuff should be part of the base program and not even a part of the configuration. But if it's specific, then maybe there's not as much you can do and the configuration is actually providing real benefit to a subset of users.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ a good example of this is vi motions, which I think are seen as power-user features from the outside but once you train with them a bit they prove their value even to beginners ... I would consider motions to be something you expect almost all vi/vim installations to use, and only very very rarely should they be configured differently or disabled
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+If the power user extensions result in a generally better system for everyone, then I feel like that stuff should be part of the base program and not even a part of the configuration. But if it's specific, then maybe there's not as much you can do and the configuration is actually providing real benefit to a subset of users.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ I suppose "better" isn't the right word here. It's not that it's better so much as that it provides a way to do things that would be difficult or time-consuming to do otherwise. Nobody will ever want my exact startup script, so a premade solution wouldn't help... except, wait, it actually would. If the operating system gave me a way to just list a bunch of programs I want to start up, with the options I need to open the right things automatically, then it would be far better than the batch file I use right now. What I'm saying is, look and see if what they're doing provides a benefit, and see if you can either create a simple, unified way to let your users do that sort of thing while shifting it closer to an option than a configuration.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+So I want to revisit a point @.bmp said earlier:
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ yeah the cliche situation for this in app ui designs is "should the focus jump to the next element after you click on the target? or should it stay where it is? ==> dunno, make it a config option"
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+What knobs do we even have?
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ This is a question I was wondering too, because it seems like most configurations could just be implemented as options.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+So my concern is that when you design software assuming that users will be able to configure it, you will actually fail to solve the problems that your software should actually solve.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ yes and this compounds nonlinearly, maybe exponentially
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Such that the greatest number of users configure the fewest number of options
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 3
+
+
+ 3
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Such that the greatest number of users configure the fewest number of options
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ a related, but I think slightly different, situation is what Rails calls "convention over configuration", i.e. there isn't even a "default" they just eliminate the choice entirely by saying "your html must be stored in a folder called html"
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+The burden of proof is on the necessity for configurability
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ This is why I think that you should be seeing what existing users are trying to do that they can't, rather than designing things up front to try and support what they might want to do
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 1
+
+
+ 1
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Well and better yet just provide the ability to do that thing out of the box
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ In the context of something that might require configuration, it might not be the best idea to always provide it out of the box, actually. Something like the theoretical startup interface for choosing which programs to start requires configuration (each user wants to start different programs, probably), and it could work out of the box, but if I'm the only user who ever uses it then it was probably a waste of time for them to design it.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+my paraphrase/summary: "You've come to me to give you a framework to make web applications. I'm telling you, there is no good reason not to put these files in a folder called html. So I'm just not even giving you the option."
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ There is a tyranny of choice aspect related to the nerdsniping
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ And, it's worth noting, for a lot of people I know with average/below average technical literacy installers are a huge point of confusion and frustration
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 1
+
+
+ 1
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Installation location does matter a whole lot more when you have more than one disk drive, and have to manage space. I personally have to choose a new install location for most new programs, because the default is on my SSD, which doesn't have a lot more storage space (and I'd like that storage space to be reserved for a few things that I want to run fast)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ this wouldnt matter if most program installations are tiny like remedybg, single exe
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+this wouldnt matter if most program installations are tiny like remedybg, single exe
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ I don't expect most of my games to be that tiny, to be honest. Games are big, especially ones with lots of art assets.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+I think I agree with demitri, if you just download a file and it's just a file you can execute and run, that is way better for the user than an installation.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ further examples of eliminating configuration through smarter design, yeah
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ @Skytrias (Michael) https://gist.github.com/andrewrk/ffb272748448174e6cdb4958dae9f3d8
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+I think I agree with demitri, if you just download a file and it's just a file you can execute and run, that is way better for the user than an installation.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Well part of the thing here is that it is still actually a directory with multiple files but it's presented to the user as the least-complex possible thing
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Because almost no user cares about anything that's inside the folder
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Right, you can go into it and access, say, saved games, which is very useful. But the fact that it's bundled together with the executable means everything just works wherever you put it, and you don't need any up front configuration
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Because almost no user cares about anything that's inside the folder
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ indeed the default desktop operations don't even let you treat it like a folder
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+so one concrete piece of advice I'd like to propose, then, is to design your software without configuration first, and to then introduce configuration (or options) at a later date
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ thats interesting, i already have optional features for my program, should i not have them and force them, only implement them once users rage / want them?
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+thats interesting, i already have optional features for my program, should i not have them and force them, only implement them once users rage / want them?
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ I think it's highly likely that those choices might be irrelevant to your users, and that by failing to make that decision yourself you have locked yourself out of interesting further designs
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+so one concrete piece of advice I'd like to propose, then, is to design your software without configuration first, and to then introduce configuration (or options) at a later date
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ I think this is a good aspirational goal, I wonder if there are practical limitations. For example, if I make a web server I guess I can default to port 80, no TLS cert, etc., and then maybe the next level is I have server_config folder in which I look for a cert file etc.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Like you definitely need to bind to an address and a port, and you can choose whatever input method will best serve your users
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ yeah, and that stuff can be pushed toward "options" part of the spectrum with just a little bit of design
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+yeah, and that stuff can be pushed toward "options" part of the spectrum with just a little bit of design
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Right, there are any number of ways you could do this (config file, GUI, web dashboard served on a random private port, command-line flags, environment variables, etc. etc.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ One category of configuration that I particularly despise is first-launch configuration
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 1
+
+
+ 1
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+one thing i wanted to ask, should you force users to use configuration via ui, or should configuration via text always be possible?
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ anywhere you want reproducibility/automation I think a text artifact is a desirable option
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Where, for one, you don't even know what the tradeoffs are yet because you haven't used it
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ I agree, you should never be unable to run the program without configuration at all. Ideally, the few choices that you have to make (language, location on file system) should be inherited from/chosen by something like the operating system, which should have the only necessary things to configure already figured out.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+I agree, you should never be unable to run the program without configuration at all. Ideally, the few choices that you have to make (language, location on file system) should be inherited from/chosen by something like the operating system, which should have the only necessary things to configure already figured out.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ I'm not sure how feasible this is, but in most cases the configuration can be limited to a very limited set of things, that you already made the decision about on the overarching system
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+I'm curious about what kinds of user data would be needed to run, because it seems like to me, most things that you'd need (keyboard layout, language) can or should be able to be detected rather than asked for.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Depends on the app, e.g. a rideshare app may need location permissions, user profile data for drivers, and payment info
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ maybe some of that can be deferred, maybe not
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 2
+
+
+ 2
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+yeah, so one principle is "is it possible to set a default that works most of the time, and is not harmful in the cases where it's wrong?"
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ I like this question, and I think it can be fairly applied to practically any "config decision" a programmer might make.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ oh I really like that as well, keep 'em coming
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ the thing @.bmp hates
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+And if you want something else, you do something else
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ this has to be traded against security risks
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+that's possibly fine but the user might not know that "all default settings" includes things with security impacts
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Then they shouldn't be setting up something with security implications
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Then they shouldn't be setting up something with security implications
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ ok but they might not know that :P
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ But this is an opportunity to communicate this to them, instead of just saying "well, screw it, you don't know better"
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 1
+
+
+ 1
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+And you're like "what the fuck does this mean"
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ how would you avoid this though, i know some programs display videos what the change would do
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Part of the problem can also be the programmer/designer not having a very solid concept of what the option does themselves
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ yes, which is a good reason to design it without config first
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Hence the word "if"
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ If you have a config file (that you expect users to interact with) for consumer software you have failed
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 2
+
+
+ 2
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+Making actual design decisions instead of saying "I don't know, make it a config option" can be very valuable. You'll understand what the tradeoffs are once you have an actual use case for the other config option, and you can decide if the benefits are worth the cost you pay.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Yes along these lines it's worth noting that nobody understands the tradeoffs better than the designer (or at least, if that's not the case, you have a problem)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ As always, you can check the pinned messages to read the whole conversation from the beginning. See you at the next fishbowl!
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+ 6
+
+
+ 6
+