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The Decline of Usability

datagubbe.se Essays & writing Essays & articles Design & creativity Candidate
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Resurfaced independently across 3 calendar years, with breakout response in 2 of them.

submissions
3
submitters
3
observed span
2020–2023
peak thread · 695 comments
996 pts
latest 20+ return · 2023-09-10
287 pts

Submission timeline

2007–2026

One slot for every year since HN launched. Height is that year's peak points; orange marks a 100+ point or 50+ comment breakout. Select a bar to open its strongest thread.

First comments on top threads

HN comment order

Ubuntu got worse at 18.04. Logging in on desktop now requires "swiping up" with the mouse to get the password box. The "swiping" thing is to avoid problems with unwanted activation when the device is in your pocket. It's totally inappropriate to desktops. Then there's icon mania. I've recently converted from Blender 2.79 to Blender 2.82. Lots of new icons. They dim, they change color, they disappear as modes change, and there are at least seven toolbars of icons. Some…

Animats·996-point thread·

The past decade or so, I've found myself in a constant battle with UI/UX team members. A big part of the battle seems to be a shift from power/tool user to consumer design paradigms. 20 years ago, most software was tools for professionals, now most software (on a usage level at least) is consumer software (literally consumers of video, social media etc.) Designers can't seem to switch modes and keep trying to apply "content consumption" rules and techniques to "jobs…

(2020) but as relevant as ever. This should be required reading of everyone who uses a computer, lest we forget what has been lost.

The first top-level comment from each of the four biggest threads, in HN’s own order. Excerpts are shortened; open a comment for full context.

Breakout years
2

100+ points or 50+ comments

Total points
1289

reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking

Total comments
927

reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking

Every submission

DateTitle as submittedByPointsComments
2020-04-17The Decline of UsabilityFirst breakout · Best threadarexxbifs996695
2022-03-13The Decline of UsabilitySeirdy61
2023-09-10The Decline of Usability (2020)Latest 20+ point returnmmphosis287231