Thirty Years With Computers

Since I started using computers, they’ve become almost a million times more powerful. Although big computers can be alienating, their evolution generally leads to a better user experience…. Although the bigger, newer mainframe had an actual CRT screen, it also had obscure commands and horrible usability. Worst of all, it was highly alienating because you had no idea what was going on. You’d issue commands, and some time later you might get the desired result. There was no feeling of mastery of the machine. You were basically a supplicant to a magic oracle functioning beyond the ken of humankind. —Jakob Nielsen —Thirty Years With Computers (Alertbox)