Whatever happened to the End User?

I’ve noticed a disturbing trend in the latest DVD’s and computer software applications. It seems that the programmers have taken the end user (that’d be you, by the way) out of the equation when it involves one of these types of media.

I was watching a DVD I had rented from my local Movie Gallery the other day called Four Feathers. I had placed the disc into my player and, after getting to the main menu past the annoying ads for upcoming movies (which shouldn’t just start up, they should be accessible from the main menu), I went to get my lunch and drink.

By the time I had done this and returned to my seat, the movie was already in full swing. It had started without me. Now I can understand this if I were in a movie theater with a concrete start time, but I wasn’t. I was in my own house. With my own equipment.

I DON’T NEED DVD’S TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES.

I’ve also noticed the same disregard for the end user with software programs. The other day, my computer wanted to restart to apply updates that I didn’t authorize it to download! Having automatic updates is fine, but let ME decide when to apply them and when to restart my computer.

It seems the software companies and the DVD manufacturers have taken the thinking out of technology these days. I know the epidemic of allowing others to think for you is growing, America, but please, have the courage to do it. It could save your life.

To the software companies: Apply some forethought to how you make programs and, in particular, how those programs update themselves. Give the end user (the one who keeps you in business, by the way) the ability to decide for themselves if they want to upgrade to the latest version of your programs.

Operating system developers should also focus, not on graphics, but on performance. Here’s an idea: build an OS that is powerful, sleek, and stable. It must have longevity (say, ten years) and it must grow with the consumer (the end user).

I honestly don’t think any software company has the minerals to develop such an OS. Most companies are too profit focused and don’t see the benefit of developing something as complex as an operating system that will last that long with out constant tweaking and upgrades (which, of course, will cost a nominal fee payed by the end user).

I’m not against making a profit, but, were I to develop an OS as I describe above, I think the customer loyalty factor would allow for market growth and a nice profit margin. Especially if the the platform is stable and powerful. It must also be customizable, giving the end user complete control over the platform.

The worlds first open source operating system? That would be something, yes?