GUI vs TUI vs CLI which is actually more productive? reddit / BSD ---------------------------------------------------------------------- flexibeast · 2019-03-31 09:21 Interesting post, but not BSD-specific. To answer your question, "GUI vs TUI vs CLI which is actually more productive?": i think there's no 'objective' answer to this. The less i'm able to use the keyboard to use a given piece of software, the more awkward it feels to me. Other people seem to feel that if they don't have a GUI, they might as well be toggling in assembly instructions. Problems arise when people with a strong preference in one direction are forced to use a UI that isn't based on that preference. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 0keg · 2019-03-31 16:57 I fail to see what the link has to do with your question, and I also don't find the writers tech rant to be of much value. On your question, I think what's missing is a definition of productivity. It does seem that very little software nowadays actually reward the user for learning it, and in many ways it seems that a plateau is reached quite quickly. Regardless of GUI, CLI or TUI I think that it is more important to write programs that reward the user for mastery of said program. If you install standard Emacs then you can use it just like notepad without many problems, but by investing time in mastering it you can attain a quite advanced workflow. The lisp machines took this even further, and mastery was greatly rewarded in that system. However, a part of why these specialized machines died was also the same reason that they were great: specificity. They were advanced and specific and their use became too niche. This brings me to another point: Regardless of what is optimal, in many professions you'll have to use the standard. Imagine using some super custom keybindings, a special keyboard layout etc while being a sysadmin that has to work with standard tools when he's outside of his home. If you've ever seen a dvorak guy try to use a standard layout, you can imagine the problems it can be at a sysadmin gig. There's also a reason as to why many sysadmins know Vi regardless of what their favorite editor is. Here we see that choices which increase productivity also hinder productivity due to them not being portable/widespread. A last thing i'd like you to take into consideration is longevity. When Plan 9 was made, they researched the productivity of a mouse- based vs a keyboard-based workflow. According to that research they found mouse-based editing to be more effective(do of course take the research with a pinch of salt). But does that mean that a mouse-based workflow is better? Well.. If you read up on carpal tunnel and RSI you'll find that many people believe that the mouse is what gave them RSI, not the keyboard. I am aware of the famous emacs-pinky and vi's esc problem, but what i'm trying to get at is that in terms of productivity there is a big difference between what is more effective for 20 minutes, and what is more effective for a guy that uses the software 8 hours a day, 6 days a week. For some bonus reading on design choices you could check out the worse is better paper (which is highly anti-unix but still very interesting). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- prec3r · 2019-03-31 17:22 > However, a part of why these specialized machines died was also the same reason that they were great: specificity. Wow, well said. So true. > choices which increase productivity also hinder productivity due to them not being portable/widespread. Choice is an illusion. I agree to your point. > in terms of productivity there is a big difference between what is more effective for 20 minutes, and what is more effective for a guy that uses the software 8 hours a day, 6 days a week. Absolutely agree. Absolutely. Man you made my day :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 0keg · 2019-03-31 23:19 I'm glad that somebody enjoyed it! :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Sonderfall-78 · 2022-02-23 09:54 TUI wins, since it combines the advantages of both GUI and CLI. But really, you need the right tool for the job.