Is the author really holding up mIRC as an example of good usability?
Aside from the standard window controls, I can't make sense of what a single thing on that screen does.
Aside from the standard window controls, I can't make sense of what a single thing on that screen does.
However, I am aware enough to understand why others don’t get the appeal. At least with email I can pick my client and they can pick theirs which is more “user friendly”. Slack etc forces me to use workflows I hate.
It’s weird, because in the abstract I agree with a lot of the criticisms and principles in the post, but this example is so bad.
They are not.
The examples taken from mIRC are almost exactly the standard window/document controls that are missing from slack and discord.
On the other hand, the use of a toolbar, in itself, was a standard. And so was filling up toolbars with as many icons as would fit, because why not.