Re:Usability and Open Source Models Compatible? (Score 1)

Once again I have to disagree. I work in this field and it IS done that way.

I'm sure you've never seen the general public asked for input on interface features, but that's because that's not the way representative users are chosen. Just because you've never seen it done, doesn't mean it doesn't happen!

Granted, Apple did the wrong thing with their new OS, if the reports are true, but how can you think that they are representative of the whole software development community?

I know that a lot of organisations who develop software in house have quite sophisticated and well-used usability labs because I've read the case studies based on their real life work.

I also participate in special interest groups and a mailing list for usability specialists who also share their experiences with collaborative interface design (amongst other usability issues). But they don't do it with the general public, they do it with a group of people who are representative of the system's users.

Once again, these are mostly individual companies who develop their own software in-house. Never make the mistake of thinking that commercial software developers are representative of software development standards in general: they are not.

Having said that, though, I have also read a great deal of information on the usability studies that places like IBM, Sun, and even Microsoft have conducted and are still conducting to this day. It does happen and there is a great deal of literature to show that it does.