The best manual in the world doesn’t help me if the things I need every two minutes in my workflow take three times as many steps as in the software that I’m used to. Sure I can learn how to do it but it’s still annoying - knowing that there’s a better way to do it - and over the course of a month of using the tool, my productivity loss is probably enough to just pay for a proprietary tool.
And to clarify, I’m not talking about “Why is this function in a different menu than what I’m used to” but “Why does GPlates require me to export my continent coordinates into a text file, copy a line in that file by hand, give that copy a new ID, make sure I made no syntax errors, re-import the text file and then edit the shape of both copies just to split a continent in two halves?” I know how to do that, it’s not too hard to learn. But if there was a knife tool or at least working copy and paste, I could reduce that task from minutes to seconds.
idk I’m not trying to say I’m built different or anything but I’ve done the manual reading exercise so many times that I usually just need to read it once and it sticks in my head long enough that it doesn’t hinder my productivity. This workflow is cozy to me
Are you intentionally misreading my posts or is this just a superiority complex? It’s not about how long something takes to learn or how often I have to look it up. It’s about how long it takes to do on a daily basis.
That’s the polar opposite of how I work with regards to manuals. I cannot retain that level of in-depth knowledge without anything to anchor it to. Reading a dictionary for a language before learning the grammar syntax does not work for me at all (and explains why I wasn’t able to really learn languages until I was a teenager!).
The best manual in the world doesn’t help me if the things I need every two minutes in my workflow take three times as many steps as in the software that I’m used to. Sure I can learn how to do it but it’s still annoying - knowing that there’s a better way to do it - and over the course of a month of using the tool, my productivity loss is probably enough to just pay for a proprietary tool.
And to clarify, I’m not talking about “Why is this function in a different menu than what I’m used to” but “Why does GPlates require me to export my continent coordinates into a text file, copy a line in that file by hand, give that copy a new ID, make sure I made no syntax errors, re-import the text file and then edit the shape of both copies just to split a continent in two halves?” I know how to do that, it’s not too hard to learn. But if there was a knife tool or at least working copy and paste, I could reduce that task from minutes to seconds.
idk I’m not trying to say I’m built different or anything but I’ve done the manual reading exercise so many times that I usually just need to read it once and it sticks in my head long enough that it doesn’t hinder my productivity. This workflow is cozy to me
Are you intentionally misreading my posts or is this just a superiority complex? It’s not about how long something takes to learn or how often I have to look it up. It’s about how long it takes to do on a daily basis.
unintentionally misread your comment because this thread has diverged into so many different branches I’m having difficulty tracking it. damn man
But aren’t you so great at reading that you get everything the first time and never forget?
Yes, I know I‘m mean right now but you ran into that.
I really don’t think my mistake, which I admit, and I’m sorry for, warrant this response. I’m not interested in continuing conversation with you
That’s the polar opposite of how I work with regards to manuals. I cannot retain that level of in-depth knowledge without anything to anchor it to. Reading a dictionary for a language before learning the grammar syntax does not work for me at all (and explains why I wasn’t able to really learn languages until I was a teenager!).