K’s Weblog

Please Apple, heed my call.  We’re not all n00bs.

I performed a series of software updates on my computer today.  Apple has learned that some of us would like to know what our update contains, beyond the simple “bug fixes” or “compatibility fixes” that it typically lists with each update.

My ask is simple, whenever there’s a software update, tell us what’s in it.  This way we can assess how important it is to us, and how soon we need to apply it.  If I find out that the Finder has a bug in it which will allow a malicious web-page to access my hard drive when I use Safari… I don’t care.  I don’t use Safari.  But if I did, I’d apply that a lot more quickly than I would an update to add the latest HP printer drivers.

Here are examples of two recent Apple updates.  One is done correctly.  The other is not.  See if you can spot the difference.

BAD!  Why? “Compatibility Improvements” isn’t very damned descriptive.

Good!  Link is provided to give those who actually want to know, the information they need.

Apple has long been seen as a very easy platform for the non-geeks among us to learn quickly and easily without the configuration and security nightmares that plague the Windows world on occasion (though that’s usually due to market share… but that’s a rant for another day).  Constantly focused on ease-of-use and design Apple makes beautiful and elegant products which are easy to understand, and for the most part to intuit.  A little consistency in documenting things wouldn’t kill them.

Providing people with the information they need to make an informed choice and just maybe understand their computing experience a little bit more is something that all software developers should consider.  It’s nice to have the option to know what people are telling me is a “critical update” so that I can decide for myself.

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