Many-many years ago, I learned about inertia. It's a well-known property of matter, but also it describes very well the fact that human beings do not like changing their habits. At least most of them do not.
I am now almost 54 years old. I've been working with computers since I was 28, so I can say that I have some experience on these matters. I have done my share of coding all those years, developing programs on a variety of platforms (computers), using several different programming languages.
One thing that puzzles me all the times, is how software developers ignore user preferences and user habits. What I'll describe below, is something that happens all the times to me, and thankfully, I always manage to find a solution, but still it never ceases to amaze me how little respect developers have for their users.
Here is the subject of my rant.
This morning, I downloaded and installed the latest version if Firefox browser. I can no longer remember when I first started using Firefox, but I do know it was several years ago, when Netscape folded. I've always prefered Firefox to Internet Explorer (or Exploder, as it should be named), due to its tighter security. So you can say, I am used to Firefox.
As soon as I downloaded the new version though, I got hit by a bomb. TABS! Some years before, browser developers decided that instead of having multiple browser windows open, they should allow us to have multiple "tabs" within the same browser window. I have never managed to get used to this feature (or problem?) so the first thing I do when I download a new browser version, is to make sure that tabs are as disabled as possible.
Until Version 3.xx, Firefox allowed you to do this (disable tab browsing) and so does the latest version 4. However, some of their developers thought that some of the menus should be rearranged, just because tabs are so hot. So instead of having "Open link in new window" selection, as the first selection of the context menu, which pops-up when you right-click on a link (something I do a lot) they moved that option to the second position and added a "Open link in a new tab" option in the first!!!! So when I did what I used to do for years (open a link in a new window) I ended up with the link being opened in a new tab. Did I say I hate tabs?
The File menu was also changed in a similar manner, the "New Window" option is now second, while "New Tab" is first!!! WHY????
Mozilla programmers, why do you believe it is a nice thing to change what we are used to, for so many years? Who on earth told you that I want to spend a couple of hours, trying to figure out how I can get back to my usual way of browsing? God I hate these things, I hate having to spend time for nothing. I hate when a program stops working as it used to be.
Hear me developers: inertia is a human beings characteristic too. Don't change the user interface to something you think we like (or we need), even if your marketing department tells you so. Let us decide if we want to change. Let us make that decision. Imagine what would happened if a car manufacturer was to switch the accelerator and break pedals positions? Stop doing this in your programs, we do not need more aggrevation.
P.S.: Thank God there are some intelligent developers out there. After a few Google searches, I found a Firefox add-on, that allows you to customize the menus, in whichever way you like! It's called "Menu Editor" and you can download it from here: http://menueditor.mozdev.org/
Thanks guys! You made my day.
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