Comment by jcgrillo

I don't know how being empathetic to users correlates with market dominance, but I'd like to believe that doing sociopathic things like putting ads in the start menu or what you've described with your TV firmware would have a negative impact on adoption. At least that's how it should work in a sane market? But the market can remain irrational longer than we can remain solvent.

I think Apple struck a good balance for a while--and to some extent still does--at least in the OS X era of treating users with a bit of respect. Not trying to make an interface for "power users" or "nontechnical users" but instead just making one for "computer users".

It used to be that we made tools for people, and endeavored to make them well. Now we make tools that treat people (their attention in particular) as a cash crop to be harvested. Everything is about "engagement" and the like. I prefer using tools that had effort spent on making them useful, not effort spent on "monetizing" the user.

I think the thing tech nerds do of trying to distinguish between "technical" and "non-technical" users is extremely arrogant, and in a way adjacent to the downright sociopathy of "monetizing" a user base. If you care about making something good, don't start down that road. That's the game--making good tools that help people do good work.