Comments on: Configuration debugging for normal folks http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/ Strategies for Internet citizens Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:25:17 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: What would a civilian do? « Jon Udell http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-93712 What would a civilian do? « Jon Udell Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:49:02 +0000 http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-93712 [...] various administrative nooks and crannies of the system. It reminded me of another incident where Phil Windley went into overdrive to debug a display problem on his Mac. As Reed Hedges wrote in a comment: [...] [...] various administrative nooks and crannies of the system. It reminded me of another incident where Phil Windley went into overdrive to debug a display problem on his Mac. As Reed Hedges wrote in a comment: [...]

]]> By: Incremental Search and Office 2007 : whirn http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-30567 Incremental Search and Office 2007 : whirn Mon, 18 Jun 2007 22:20:40 +0000 http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-30567 [...] to the specific screen I need. It does all this with some slick highlighting as well. Jon Udell has a couple of screencasts and commentary comparing Vista and Mac OS X’s handling of Phil’s problem if you’d like more [...] [...] to the specific screen I need. It does all this with some slick highlighting as well. Jon Udell has a couple of screencasts and commentary comparing Vista and Mac OS X’s handling of Phil’s problem if you’d like more [...]

]]> By: Reed Hedges http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-29241 Reed Hedges Fri, 15 Jun 2007 12:45:41 +0000 http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-29241 Yeah you guys took the engineer approach-- as if you were the engineers building the MacOSX operating system and the only way to figure out problems is to rebuild it, and isolate causes. Normal people either ask an expert or someone who has experienced this before (tech support, friends, Jon Udell), or they use those search and help tools to find the UI control that fixes it. Yeah you guys took the engineer approach– as if you were the engineers building the MacOSX operating system and the only way to figure out problems is to rebuild it, and isolate causes. Normal people either ask an expert or someone who has experienced this before (tech support, friends, Jon Udell), or they use those search and help tools to find the UI control that fixes it.

]]> By: Jon Udell http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-28597 Jon Udell Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:38:42 +0000 http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-28597 "Less sophisticated users have to take the less sophisticated steps like going to the display or monitor settings rather than getting into binary search process." You have a point. I'm guilty of this myself: pulling out too much heavy artillery too soon. On the other hand, the problem here wasn't in display settings, but in another area of configuration called Universal Access. So in the end I stand by my points: 1. The problem of easily detecting what changed recently, across a diverse set of subsystems 2. The problem of vocabulary. “Less sophisticated users have to take the less sophisticated steps like going to the display or monitor settings rather than getting into binary search process.”

You have a point. I’m guilty of this myself: pulling out too much heavy artillery too soon. On the other hand, the problem here wasn’t in display settings, but in another area of configuration called Universal Access. So in the end I stand by my points:

1. The problem of easily detecting what changed recently, across a diverse set of subsystems

2. The problem of vocabulary.

]]> By: Robert http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-28588 Robert Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:01:10 +0000 http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-28588 Phil seems to have been out thinking himself. I don't have anything close to your reservoir of tacit knowledge, but the first thing I would have done if my display looked wrong would have been to check the display properties. That is probably because I wouldn't have any idea how to do what Phil did. Perhaps the skills of some with more of a mid-level tacit knowledge base, not developed over many years of experience, is at least tuned to solving the common problems. In this case it seems Phil thought there might have been some type of corruption or something. Less sophisticated users have to take the less sophisticated steps like going to the display or monitor settings rather than getting into binary search process. Phil seems to have been out thinking himself. I don’t have anything close to your reservoir of tacit knowledge, but the first thing I would have done if my display looked wrong would have been to check the display properties. That is probably because I wouldn’t have any idea how to do what Phil did. Perhaps the skills of some with more of a mid-level tacit knowledge base, not developed over many years of experience, is at least tuned to solving the common problems. In this case it seems Phil thought there might have been some type of corruption or something. Less sophisticated users have to take the less sophisticated steps like going to the display or monitor settings rather than getting into binary search process.

]]> By: A little bit about everything » Blog Archive » Tacit Knowledge, Nomenclature, and Debugging http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-28372 A little bit about everything » Blog Archive » Tacit Knowledge, Nomenclature, and Debugging Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:19:42 +0000 http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-28372 [...] Udell has a nice riff on my washed out screen problem, talking about how much of what we can do on computers depends on [...] [...] Udell has a nice riff on my washed out screen problem, talking about how much of what we can do on computers depends on [...]

]]> By: The Third Bit » Blog Archive » If You Need AI, You Need a Simpler System http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-28354 The Third Bit » Blog Archive » If You Need AI, You Need a Simpler System Tue, 12 Jun 2007 18:15:33 +0000 http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-28354 [...] Udell had another post today about how hard it is for normal human beings to configure software—or, more accurately, how [...] [...] Udell had another post today about how hard it is for normal human beings to configure software—or, more accurately, how [...]

]]> By: Jon Udell http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-28350 Jon Udell Tue, 12 Jun 2007 18:00:54 +0000 http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-28350 "I have always wanted to view the system settings/preferences like a directory listing (i.e. old school Windows detail view) so that modified date was exposed as a filter option." That's a great idea! “I have always wanted to view the system settings/preferences like a directory listing (i.e. old school Windows detail view) so that modified date was exposed as a filter option.”

That’s a great idea!

]]> By: Len Lynch http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-28349 Len Lynch Tue, 12 Jun 2007 17:55:09 +0000 http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-28349 Maybe it's just me, but I have always wanted to view the system settings/preferences like a directory listing (i.e. old school Windows detail view) so that modified date was exposed as a filter option. If this were available, perhaps it would have been of some use for tracking down Phil's problem? If this is something that I've missed in the base OS, please point me toward it. If there are powertools feel free to redirect toward them. Maybe it’s just me, but I have always wanted to view the system settings/preferences like a directory listing (i.e. old school Windows detail view) so that modified date was exposed as a filter option.

If this were available, perhaps it would have been of some use for tracking down Phil’s problem?

If this is something that I’ve missed in the base OS, please point me toward it. If there are powertools feel free to redirect toward them.

]]> By: Jamie http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-28316 Jamie Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:00:38 +0000 http://blog.jonudell.net/2007/06/12/configuration-debugging-for-normal-folks/#comment-28316 The thing I look about the Mac System Preferences is that you can type "wireless" "802.11g" "internet" "Airport" etc... and it will point you to the same Network settings preference, even if '802.11' the name is not featured at all within that preference panel. The thing I look about the Mac System Preferences is that you can type

“wireless”
“802.11g”
“internet”
“Airport”

etc… and it will point you to the same Network settings preference, even if ‘802.11′ the name is not featured at all within that preference panel.

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