This post is not mine, the write up is from someone
else,
it is chris pirillo words, thoughts, opinions on
'changing'...
for some degrees, which i'd agree...
since i have no idea to write anything, any
interesting 'things'
and the blues is sticking, its
monday nonetheless
wandering around the internet and i found out this
post...
is quite nice.
so, i just re-post it =)...
and most importantly i'm not an apple fan-boy,
so don't miss understood me.
Change is not always a good thing.
Not everybody has a short attention span and enjoys change every 365 days (or even every five years). Do not underestimate the value of familiarity with technology, especially for people who consider them selves "normal" (read: not geeks and
nerds). Change can be expensive and/or frustrating.
Why fix what isn't "broken?" Why not make incremental improvements to something which obviously resonates with your users? Too much change at one time is like tossing a frog into boiling water; users often need time to acclimate or you risk (as a product or service provider) alienating them. Backlash is typically not something anybody wants to deal with.
1. Facebook switches to Timeline mode. People were bewildered, upset. Some even quit Facebook (perhaps because this was the tipping point for them after all the other changes Facebook had thrown at 'em "without warning").
2. Google+ introduces a new layout and people are quick to judge the new use of WhiteSpace . This revision was likely done to better accommodate future growth in new services - because Google believed it was necessary, though some users were quite resistant to that change.
3. Digg. Yeah. Oops. Too much change. What happened there?
4. I still see plenty of XP machines when I hit coffee shops or malls. Why upgrade the PC when all you need is access to the Internet and what you have already works "well enough?" Why change for the sake of change yet?
5. Bing. Even if it's search results were objectively or subjectively better (and that's up for debate), the greater challenge is prying people away from a search brand they've trusted now for years. Culture doesn't change overnight, especially for people who don't even understand that Google is a web service (not a piece of software that's installed alongside the Internet program).
6. Try moving an icon on your parents' desktop. Change their start page. See what happens.
Frustration breeds contempt.
So, when I see people kvetching about iOS being "boring," I want to smack them upside the head and remind them that too much change to iOS would destroy one of the best things Apple has going for it. I don't care if you don't like Apple, I don't care if you don't like iOS, I don't care if you think another OS is superior (which is a relative statement). PEOPLE STILL DO NOT GENERALLY LIKE CHANGE IF IT HAPPENS TOO QUICKLY.
Just because you don't see (or believe) innovation is happening doesn't mean it isn't.
I can tell you, after using iOS since before it was called iOS, that it has most certainly changed - and I personally wish it could change more (and I've detailed how in the past). I'm sure it'll continue to change with subtle tweaks. But, here's the thing: iOS hasn't changed so much as to alienate the customer base. It's familiar - and familiarity is a GOOD THING when it comes to adoption of new consumer technologies. Apple doesn't need to change that quickly to satisfy every one of its "normal" customers.
Why do you think the iPhone continues to be successful, release after release? Yes, the hardware (spec wise) is improving - but a happy iPhone 3GS user is more likely to upgrade to a newer piece of hardware that works similarly than they are to switch to something else outright. There are OTHER factors at play as well (of course, cost being one of them). They've grown accustomed to the experience. That's a HUGE part of a winning formula.
Again, I have to remind egocentric geeks that this isn't about them - it's about everybody else. This isn't about one OS being "better" than another. It's about how our minds work. Even if you don't mind changing technology more frequently than you change underwear, I'm absolutely certain that there are other areas of your life where you DON'T WANT CHANGE.
If you want to spur change, introduce pain to the equation. Pain is a great motivator for change. But if someone isn't feeling pain, getting them to change is an exercise in futility. What's painful to you isn't painful to someone else.
So, yeah. Let's just keep that in mind. "Boring" is relative. This is an exciting conversation to have, but not if it boils down to another pointless (and needless) platform war. Comparing apples to oranges is not always the best use of our time.
And, believe me, any company would be wise to know when it's time to change - and that's usually dictated when sales slide.
