Competent people and difficult tools

Transcript

Recently I found an important idea in a cycling magazine. In the Winter 2008 issue of the Practical Pedal the editor, Wiley Davis, poses an interesting question: If our bikes get better, do we? He makes two comments that I appreciate. First,

I think the machines that we humans interact with should retain elements that are difficult to use.

And later,

There's something inspiring, even sexy, about competent people. And competent people don't become competent by doing things that are easy.

Davis likes bicycles with downtube friction shifters. They're old-fashioned and difficult to use, but they're easy to maintain and very reliable. I've been using them on one of my bikes for 28 years with no trouble. Newer index shifters don't require much competence because they're easier to use.

The same is true in the computer world. For example, college students can make documents with word processors or simple Web authoring tools. These tools are easy to use, but students don't become competent. They learn nothing about typography, and many Web pages fail to meet minimum technical standards.

Even some Web designers don't know how to write XHTML source code with a professional text editor like Vim or GNU Emacs. They may be competent as artists, but as not as computer professionals.

Plain text editing is the most fundamental skill for computer system administration, programming, and many kinds of writing. Anyone can use a graphical interface, but competent people can edit source code.

Like downtube friction shifters on bicycles, computer text editors are difficult tools for beginners, but that difficulty forces people to understand what they're trying to do. Students who master difficult tools become more competent people.