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The Decline of Usability: Revisited | datagubbe.se
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this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2025
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I think for the big apps like Whatsapp and Facebook it makes sense that the companies want to hide the features that give users control beyond the "standard" way of using the app in places where they cannot find it.
This is a way broader phenomenon than just dark patterns or whatever. It exists in open-source as well which generally does not have any incentives to do this sort of stuff.
It’s all Marketing. In order to attract users with fancy looking interfaces, many usability rules get overriden.
This started already years ago with the new, sleak looking Windows 10. Internally the usability problems were known. But marketing pushed for the release date. This UX drama was costly. over 5 billion in the air for the launch alone. Ending in a blame.
MS has been doing that little by little since windows XP. Keeping the useful control panel and system elements, but burying them under layers of "user-friendly" menus that offer little to no actual control.
Even though it’s common to bully on Microsoft, it’s not true in this case. There have been many studies and user tests to find an understandable way for users to reach that massive functionality of the MS office software. The Ribbon interface was the best in those testings.
Not talking about office. Talking about the control panel for windows itself.
E.G. network adapter settings. Used to be up front, now you have to dig for them.