![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
May. 19th, 2009
I just don't get it
May. 19th, 2009 12:13 pmThere are some things I am yet to understand the use of. They get a lot of hype, but they don't seem to do anything I can see myself actually wanting. Frequently I can't see their use to anyone else either.
3D user interfaces are one of these - every so often someone shows off something that looks incredibly cool, but is clearly about 10% as usable as, say, the standard Windows/Mac/Gnome interface. They promise to take their new wonderful interface and make it more useful, and that's the last anyone ever hears from them.
And the latest thing to fit into this category of "sounds shiny, can't see the point" is Wolfram Alpha.
Can anyone explain what I might actually want to use it for? Because I've played with it a couple of times and I can't figure it out.
3D user interfaces are one of these - every so often someone shows off something that looks incredibly cool, but is clearly about 10% as usable as, say, the standard Windows/Mac/Gnome interface. They promise to take their new wonderful interface and make it more useful, and that's the last anyone ever hears from them.
And the latest thing to fit into this category of "sounds shiny, can't see the point" is Wolfram Alpha.
Can anyone explain what I might actually want to use it for? Because I've played with it a couple of times and I can't figure it out.
For those people upset at the recent MP expenses scandal, you might find it amusing that in Scotland the MSPs expenses are all publishing online in a handy searchable format:
http://mspallowances.scottish.parliament.uk/MSPAllowances/
If only we'd had that for the UK government...
http://mspallowances.scottish.parliament.uk/MSPAllowances/
If only we'd had that for the UK government...