[sword-devel] Bible Software Review

[Jonathan Morgan]

On Thu, May 1, 2008 at 3:01 PM, jonathon <jonathon.blake at gmail.com> wrote:
> Jonathan Morgan wrote:
>
>  >>  I'm still pretty well certain that we have the widest selection of modules among free programs, too, so it's a bit annoying that programs who've copied our library got higher marks. It seems like we ought to get a little credit for the fact that The Word, e-Sword, Online Bible,  and Zefania are all enjoying content that came from us.
>
>  > I would have thought that e-Sword has more modules than we do.
>
>  If user created resources are included, then e-Sword has thousands
>  more than The Sword Project.   If one just compares resources at
>  e-sword.net and estudysource.com with those available for The Sword
>  Project, then I think that it is a tie.
>
>  Originally, I think the Online Bible was used for the source for free
>  Bible Study programs.  Then Sword Project resources were used.  The
>  current trend appears to be to use e-Sword resources.
>
>  > Anyway, you can't really expect a person investigating the usefulness of available software to determine whether it has been helped by the work of others.
>
>  True.
>
>  > Again from the usability point of view, I claim that if a person cannot use a feature, the fact that it is there does not help them.
>
>  Cannot use the feature, or hasn't bothered to learn how to use the feature?

>From the developer's point of view there is a difference.  From the
user's point of view, there isn't really a difference.  Again from the
usability side of the camp, a lot of things that developers say are
things that users couldn't be bothered to learn (and I as a developer
have said it a lot myself) are actually problems with the design.
Some learning is expected if you wish to use a piece of software.  The
question really is "Where is the line drawn between bad design and
apathetic users?"  People like Don Norman and Alan Cooper (whose books
I very much like) say that it is mostly the fault of the designer.  It
is hard to judge in general, but I now tend towards that camp, and so
my comments come from that angle.

Jon