Comments on: Dave Winer Should Stick To Scripting http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html I've been observing personal computing behavior for a long time, and now I have some things to say. Here are my two cents about computing, music, software, and related topics. Fri, 13 Mar 2026 04:59:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Attila http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-169 Attila Tue, 03 Jan 2006 16:38:57 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-169 I have to admit that I - too - find it difficult to use and not very intuitive. The only reason I use it, it is because it is the only way I know to sync with iPod (anybody have other ideas?). It is cool that it has an API and you can write your own scripts to it. But the interface has its way to evolve until I will find it user-friendly and intuitive. I know I am not a design specialist, but hey, most of the users are not ui-designers. And if many users have issues with an interface I would say there have to be some problems indeed. I have to admit that I - too - find it difficult to use and not very intuitive. The only reason I use it, it is because it is the only way I know to sync with iPod (anybody have other ideas?). It is cool that it has an API and you can write your own scripts to it. But the interface has its way to evolve until I will find it user-friendly and intuitive. I know I am not a design specialist, but hey, most of the users are not ui-designers. And if many users have issues with an interface I would say there have to be some problems indeed.

]]> By: Les Posen http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-168 Les Posen Fri, 30 Dec 2005 04:16:46 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-168 It seems to me that some people struggle when confronted with new applications that don't conform to their well-learnt expectations. For me using iTunes to get things done comes easy. It's porting to Windows would be confusing to those unfamiliar to the Mac HCI. iTunes is deceptively simple for a program with its richness. Don't confuse less frequently used aspects hidden away with poor programming or poor HCI implementation. iTunes is constantly being improved upon as Apple uses it to do more. MTM has a valid point for instance that podcast URLs seem not amenable to standard copy-and paste. This needs reporting to the development team. Apple knows this and has a workaround: "Just select the podcast and drag it to your desktop to create a file that ends with a .pcast extension. Email this file to your friend and then have him or her drag the file into iTunes to subscribe to that podcast. In iTunes, you can view a podcast URL by clicking on the "i" to the right of the description, but you can't copy or edit this text. If you typed a podcast URL incorrectly, delete the podcast and subscribe to it again." If anything feels rushed about iTunes, it's the podcast elements. It seems to me that some people struggle when confronted with new applications that don’t conform to their well-learnt expectations. For me using iTunes to get things done comes easy. It’s porting to Windows would be confusing to those unfamiliar to the Mac HCI. iTunes is deceptively simple for a program with its richness. Don’t confuse less frequently used aspects hidden away with poor programming or poor HCI implementation.

iTunes is constantly being improved upon as Apple uses it to do more. MTM has a valid point for instance that podcast URLs seem not amenable to standard copy-and paste. This needs reporting to the development team.

Apple knows this and has a workaround:

“Just select the podcast and drag it to your desktop to create a file that ends with a .pcast extension. Email this file to your friend and then have him or her drag the file into iTunes to subscribe to that podcast.

In iTunes, you can view a podcast URL by clicking on the “i” to the right of the description, but you can’t copy or edit this text. If you typed a podcast URL incorrectly, delete the podcast and subscribe to it again.”

If anything feels rushed about iTunes, it’s the podcast elements.

]]> By: MTM http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-167 MTM Mon, 26 Dec 2005 18:47:58 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-167 I knew how to find the URL of a feed. The question is, how do you copy the sucker for use in another program? It is this and a few other littel things that keep iTunes from being perfect. That said, it is the best database I have ever used. Period. I knew how to find the URL of a feed. The question is, how do you copy the sucker for use in another program?

It is this and a few other littel things that keep iTunes from being perfect. That said, it is the best database I have ever used. Period.

]]> By: Leland http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-166 Leland Mon, 26 Dec 2005 07:36:31 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-166 Cool tips, Jonathan... thanks very much! Cool tips, Jonathan… thanks very much!

]]> By: Johnathan http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-165 Johnathan Mon, 26 Dec 2005 05:35:10 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-165 To get the URL of a feed that you are subscribed to, just click the little "i"-inside-a-grey-circle icon on the right part of the same line as the feed itself (under the description column) - (I am referring to the same line that has a disclosure triangle on the left). Then a little window pops open, with the feed name, feed URL, and feed description. FWIW, I just figured out that iTunes imports & exports OPML! Who knew? (iTunes doesn't always expose advanced functionality, but this keeps things simpler for non-power users.) To import OPML, just go to File > Import... and select the OPML file. To export OPML, select the "Podcasts" item in the left hand column (of playlists/sources/etc) and then go to File > Export Song List. You may then choose Plain Text, Unicode Text, XML, or OPML from a popup menu. To get the URL of a feed that you are subscribed to, just click the little “i”-inside-a-grey-circle icon on the right part of the same line as the feed itself (under the description column) - (I am referring to the same line that has a disclosure triangle on the left).

Then a little window pops open, with the feed name, feed URL, and feed description.

FWIW, I just figured out that iTunes imports & exports OPML! Who knew? (iTunes doesn’t always expose advanced functionality, but this keeps things simpler for non-power users.)

To import OPML, just go to File > Import… and select the OPML file.
To export OPML, select the “Podcasts” item in the left hand column (of playlists/sources/etc) and then go to File > Export Song List. You may then choose Plain Text, Unicode Text, XML, or OPML from a popup menu.

]]> By: Leland http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-164 Leland Mon, 26 Dec 2005 05:08:15 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-164 Hi Michael, What can I say? Anybody who's still using IE to browse the web, when there are so many better options available, clearly isn't a good judge of software quality. For that matter, Windows XP is pretty skanky nowadays. WMP10 (or, to be precise, Windows Media Player 10) is only available for... Windows! And for your information, the improvements Microsoft built into version 10 were stolen directly from iTunes. So, saying you can't figure out how to use iTunes is simply saying you prefer Microsoft's take on Apple's innovations. Oh, I know you don't think of it that way, but the fact is, that's what you're doing. But thanks for sharing... :-) Hi Michael,
What can I say? Anybody who’s still using IE to browse the web, when there are so many better options available, clearly isn’t a good judge of software quality. For that matter, Windows XP is pretty skanky nowadays. WMP10 (or, to be precise, Windows Media Player 10) is only available for… Windows! And for your information, the improvements Microsoft built into version 10 were stolen directly from iTunes. So, saying you can’t figure out how to use iTunes is simply saying you prefer Microsoft’s take on Apple’s innovations. Oh, I know you don’t think of it that way, but the fact is, that’s what you’re doing.

But thanks for sharing… :-)

]]> By: Michael http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-163 Michael Mon, 26 Dec 2005 02:10:16 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-163 As much as I dislike Dave Winer - and I really, really can't understand where he comes up with half the things he spouts - I have to say I completely agree with him in this instance. Reading Les Posen's "patient defence" of the iTunes interface actually DROPPED my opinion of iTunes as a whole. I use WMP10, and the number of steps required to do each of those tasks in iTunes is greater than in WMP10 by far. Of course, I'm certain there are things iTunes is better at (Such as syncing with an iPod). To be fair, I couldn't stand the iTunes GUI to begin with. I find it nightmarish to use, and impossible to get anything done beyond the basics: playing music, and creating playlists. I tried to use it, but switched to WMP10 after a while. WMP10 is far from perfect, but it works, and it's consistently easy and fast to get things done. Calling Dave's opinion "whacked out" is rather overstating the case. I don't have the time or the motivation to learn to use iTunes. As much as I dislike Dave Winer - and I really, really can’t understand where he comes up with half the things he spouts - I have to say I completely agree with him in this instance.

Reading Les Posen’s “patient defence” of the iTunes interface actually DROPPED my opinion of iTunes as a whole. I use WMP10, and the number of steps required to do each of those tasks in iTunes is greater than in WMP10 by far. Of course, I’m certain there are things iTunes is better at (Such as syncing with an iPod).

To be fair, I couldn’t stand the iTunes GUI to begin with. I find it nightmarish to use, and impossible to get anything done beyond the basics: playing music, and creating playlists.

I tried to use it, but switched to WMP10 after a while. WMP10 is far from perfect, but it works, and it’s consistently easy and fast to get things done.

Calling Dave’s opinion “whacked out” is rather overstating the case. I don’t have the time or the motivation to learn to use iTunes.

]]> By: Leland http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-162 Leland Sun, 25 Dec 2005 19:18:16 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-162 Hey George, you know, there's a slight difference from saying iTunes isn't perfect and saying that it's "awful... the worst piece of crap I've ever used"... don't you think? I can come up with my own list of things I would like to change in iTunes and new features I'd like to add, but it's pretty presumptuous to label a great software interface like iTunes as "crap" just because it isn't perfect. That's what Les Posen is taking Dave to task about. Hey George, you know, there’s a slight difference from saying iTunes isn’t perfect and saying that it’s “awful… the worst piece of crap I’ve ever used”… don’t you think? I can come up with my own list of things I would like to change in iTunes and new features I’d like to add, but it’s pretty presumptuous to label a great software interface like iTunes as “crap” just because it isn’t perfect. That’s what Les Posen is taking Dave to task about.

]]> By: George Entenman http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-161 George Entenman Sun, 25 Dec 2005 19:10:00 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-161 Sorry to disagree, but I think Dave is on the money. I'll add one thing to Dave's list: I can't figure out how to get the URL of feeds out of podcasts that I've subscribed to. The info doesn't tell me where the podcast comes from!!??? And I love OSX. That is I love it after replacing the mouse and keyboard: Winer is correct that not all Apple interfaces are perfect. Sorry to disagree, but I think Dave is on the money. I’ll add one thing to Dave’s list: I can’t figure out how to get the URL of feeds out of podcasts that I’ve subscribed to. The info doesn’t tell me where the podcast comes from!!??? And I love OSX. That is I love it after replacing the mouse and keyboard: Winer is correct that not all Apple interfaces are perfect.

]]> By: Zato http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-160 Zato Sun, 25 Dec 2005 07:13:41 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-160 Now that Dave has money........... Now that Dave has money………..

]]> By: Leland http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-159 Leland Sat, 24 Dec 2005 23:01:45 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-159 Thanks, Les... I've fixed the link now. Richard, I know... and I'm sorry. (A little.) It's just that I really get ticked off with "gods" like Dave who make assinine statements, because of the weight others may give to their opinions. I almost wrote a similar article about Linus Torvalds after he made stupid comments recently on the attempts being made to improve Linux's desktop user interface. Fortunately, others beat me to the punch. :-) There's another guy who just has no business opining about design, user-interface or otherwise. Thanks, Les… I’ve fixed the link now.

Richard, I know… and I’m sorry. (A little.) It’s just that I really get ticked off with “gods” like Dave who make assinine statements, because of the weight others may give to their opinions. I almost wrote a similar article about Linus Torvalds after he made stupid comments recently on the attempts being made to improve Linux’s desktop user interface. Fortunately, others beat me to the punch. :-) There’s another guy who just has no business opining about design, user-interface or otherwise.

]]> By: Les Posen http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-158 Les Posen Sat, 24 Dec 2005 22:51:38 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-158 Thanks for your kind words, Leland. I wrote my blog entry not expecting Dave to see it (too gentle to attract his attention) but more for those actually interested in iTunes and how to better use it. While iTunes is quite intuitive, it is a surprisingly rich program and won't take kindly to being stampeded. The link on your page (bottom) to my site actually goes to Dave's, btw. I've listed mine in my comment details. Thanks for your kind words, Leland. I wrote my blog entry not expecting Dave to see it (too gentle to attract his attention) but more for those actually interested in iTunes and how to better use it. While iTunes is quite intuitive, it is a surprisingly rich program and won’t take kindly to being stampeded.

The link on your page (bottom) to my site actually goes to Dave’s, btw. I’ve listed mine in my comment details.

]]> By: Richard http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-157 Richard Sat, 24 Dec 2005 22:27:41 +0000 http://www.musingsfrommars.org/2005/12/dave-winer-should-stick-to-scripting.html#comment-157 Les Posen did an accurate and appropriate review of Dave Winer's position regarding iTunes. Let the poor man run to his cave, whimper and lick his wounds, and return weeks hence as the Olympian he once was. We're all allowed a little foolishness, even Dave. Les Posen did an accurate and appropriate review of Dave Winer’s position regarding iTunes. Let the poor man run to his cave, whimper and lick his wounds, and return weeks hence as the Olympian he once was. We’re all allowed a little foolishness, even Dave.

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