Re: Silent Update Question

2011/8/25 André Neves <[email protected]>

> On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 6:26 AM, JohnQPublic <[email protected]> wrote:
> > (...) Putting it in
> > about:config would make it available only to techies, contrary to what I
> and
> > *most* users want!
> "Want" what?
> To have the option there? I agree.
> To not update? I disagree.
>
> I completely agree that updating should not be forced upon regular users.
> Not updating is IMO a bad decision to be made, but that is why the
> "(not recommended: security risk ZOMG)" is there for.
> The decision is still to be done, and its consequences to be taken, by the
> user.
>

Ugh, I guess I started it.

You are in the less than 1% of users who have the technical competence to
make this decision and change the default setting.

Just like the less than 1% of drivers who maintain their own car,
understanding and maintaining the complex systems of a computer is far
beyond what well over 99% of users care to do.

Why is everyone so quit to forget the steaming POS that was the Mozilla
Application Suite?  The thousand or so preference
"choices" were all the result of programmers making the cut-the-baby-in-half
compromises based on your exact argument.

Updating/not updating is a false choice.  I've seen users accidentally set
settings that rendered an application unusable -this has the same effect as
a programming bug that would require a reinstall of the software.  Not
having auto-update is the same as not offering security updates at all.  ALL
SOFTWARE should have silent auto-security-update mechanisms in place that do
not require a reboot, Apple, Microsoft, and Linux are all guilty of this.

Finally, this is the usability list, engineering feedback is welcome and you
would be correct to doubt my programming competency.  Please come back when
you have 1) run 12+ usability test sessions on this subject and/or 2)
convinced a majority of the car-owning public to maintain their own car
and/or 3) have a degree in usability or educational psychology.  Please stop
making me wish this list was invite-only.

Thanks.
-Zach