Re: Usages Messages
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg94845] Re: Usages Messages
- From: Helen Read <hpr at together.net>
- Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2008 06:34:42 -0500 (EST)
- References: <gj2cat$fsr$1@smc.vnet.net> <gj55k3$c6u$1@smc.vnet.net>
- Reply-to: HPR <read at math.uvm.edu>
AES wrote: > > Might this thought be broadened to the idea that _Mathematica itself_, > having gotten "caught and entangled" in an objective of trying to be > able to do, not just "too much", but more or less _everything_ anyone > might want to do within a single program, has evolved into a system > that, as a result, ends up being hard to use to do almost anything? > > [E.g., syntax and command structure so massive and complex as to be > almost unlearnable, unsatisfactory user interface, massive but still > mostly unsatisfactory user documentation, innumerable "gotchas" and > unexpected interactions between commands, and so on.] How hard have you tried to learn to use Mathematica effectively? Your claim that the syntax and command structure is "almost unlearnable" is refuted by the fact that my first year calculus students -- every one of them -- are able to learn the basics of Mathematica syntax within a a couple weeks, and are quite proficient in the use of Mathematica by the end of a semester. If you think the the user interface is "unsatisfactory" (even my weakest calculus students would disagree with you) have you tried the new Basic Math Assistant palette in V7? -- Helen Read University of Vermont