[OT] Microsoft Office's New UI Blazes Some New Trails for Us

[Charles Hartman]

On Oct 11, 2005, at 6:06 PM, Scott Rossi wrote:

> I think it's perfectly understandable that the musicians you cite  
> didn't
> want to learn how to program the equipment.  I'll wager the  
> majority of them
> wanted to spend their time making music, not learning an arcane  
> programming
> language.  And yet that didn't stop many notable artists from  
> making a name
> for themselves and learning how to push music technology.

I think what's involved is a question about what constitutes "making  
music" -- a question that was changed by the advent of programmable  
synths. For some synth musicians (certainly not all), programming  
*is* making music, since it's the texture & character of the patches  
that gives the final result much of its noticeability and interest.

It seems to me that "Office"-type applications are not like synths in  
this respect. A Whole New Look to office memos is a bad thing,  
distracting, not a good thing; memos are not art. If you're a  
typographer or graphic designer it's a different story -- but then  
you don't use MS Office.

Something like Rev, a programming environment, is half like Office  
(as an environment encouraging somewhat standardized work, so you  
don't have to *think* about the bookkeeping) and half -- the more  
interesting half -- like synths.

IMHO

Charles Hartman