[rt-users] Newbie trouble: keywords don't work

[Alexander Dupuy]

Jim Meyer wrote:
> I'm with Rich on this: placing an artificial limitation on a system to
> protect new users from the power of that system is just wrong. It'd be
> like putting a 10MPH governor on a Ferrari because a new driver might
> have an accident if they go faster.
> 
> Perhaps the more proper solution is to improve the documentation?

Improving the documentation assumes that people actually read it first. 
  And it does nothing to address the fact that the user interface uses 
'/' as a separator between nested levels of keywords in it's display, 
leading users to believe that it works like filenames (which disallow 
'/' except as a separator).  If you really think '/' in keyword names is 
important, the more proper solution is to rework the user interface so 
that '/' isn't used to indicate keyword nesting (it would be ambiguous 
in any case).

And your analogy with a 10MPH governor is overblown; it's just a 
fripping '/', for cripes sakes!  A somewhat better (though still flawed) 
analogy would be having an interlock on your gearshift that requires you 
to depress the brake before you shift out of park.  This might be a 
minor annoyance to some experienced drivers, but it will also prevent 
other drivers from crashing the car into a wall.  And serious racers 
will replace the automatic transmission with a manual transmission 
(without 'park') anyhow.

@alex
-- 
mailto:dupuy at sysd.com