Logos Search Remains Part of a Mystery Religion

Hoping it works, you pay and pray!

Wow. That DOES sound like a mystery religion. 

I'm even amazed at my own post ... it's mysterious too!  I just noticed the sort, in the events list.  What could it be??  Creation, Jesus, and then there's King Og follow by King Sihon.  I bet it's how it was stashed in the database.

Then, there's Jesus' resurrection ... in Mark.  Just Mark?  He gets crucified in all the gospels.  Poor Jesus!

Your sort is a bit of a morass, DMB.  

You're right.  I should never have clicked on the '+'. [:P]

 In retirement and in forums, I've found I have to ask it of myself.

Well, back in my working days, one of my corporate groups was software planning. And one of my concerns, during executive trips around our 'worldwide empire' was ease of use. Good software design meant low training costs, low error rates, and efficiency, across multiple countries. The big bucks.

But in retirement, my concerns lie at the 'root' of Logos ... religion.  If anything, the need for ease of use should be even greater, if indeed one accepts the long-term goals. And especially, as internet chaos (and recently pseudo-chat) intrude.

But instead, at each design point, a small 'chasm' is introduced, to dissuade new Logos users. In the specific case, I'd have done, like my browser (in light grey, indicate the expected action ... type subject or similar). Instead of dumping a random list, as if 'that's it'.

I do wish you'd make the trip to Dharamsala for an initiation rite

Gee, what's wrong with the big B?  (Bellingham HQ).  And Halloween is approaching too!  The Big M (Mesa I think) doesn't support mysteries.

I can duplicate your results with the exception that I get a scroll bar.

Part of your 'star' extras. Enjoy!

On short, I expect Logos to expect that at the first level I have a clear enough idea of what I want that I can provide a sufficient hint.

Again, they know you're smart.  But to give them credit (and maybe I'm unfortunately wrong), but recently I've noticed here and there, instructions at key 'intersections'. Excellent.  Sort of like Microsoft about 20 years ago.  I see the principle like roundabouts ... put the little circle and choices early ... don't just have visitors drive up to the circle and stop.

What's your suggestion

As above, put the next step in light, barely readable grey, as to the next expected action.  Works on my browser (since I use several, all different).  I do think Mark seems to be having an impact ... I just believe the critical 'junction' occurs long before beta. Internal management has to ride herd on exuberant artists.

As for Dharamsala ... it's a matter of mindse

And you don't see the mindset at the Big B?  Smiling.  Actually serious (I think that's their problem going way back).  Sort of an easter-egg app.

any recognizable event title which is what the pick list does. 

Best I can see, it's not meant to be a picklist (before the user begins typing a choice), although, of course, you can pick from it!  If you were going to be compatible with Logos' other UI presentations, you'd place the examples below (and describe as example), instead of a fake picklist.

But I'm probably still confusing you?  As is, the user appears to be asked to select from the dumped list (maybe 20 items).  Some UIs throw a mouseable alphabet before the user to indicate next step, but Logos doesn't use that method.  As above, the user is given an easter egg challenge.

When we humans solve a problem it creates a new problem. That seems to be quite obvious in the software development. 

True .. who can think out all the permutations, in the detail code plan.  But it's even more expensive to re-open the code due to poor planning ... more chances for errors, and permutations. Personnel turnover, etc.

This week I was on a Bible search, and a simple textual look-for ... the forms button had no impact and forms mattered ... I switched back to my own software. 15 years of the Logos app should be long enough to get it right.

I wish you would post such problems as potential bugs so we could see the why of your experience.

Well, first, I do appreciate your work, and drive to enhance the software. You, Dave and Graham probably need to get free software updates!  Ok, maybe resource credits.

But seriously, the software has bugs, and the assumption 'users'  (customers) need to stop their work, document, explore, check, copy, and prep for a forum go-thru-the wringer isn't a good business plan.  Personally, I can't remember which are actual bugs, which are working ('a case'), and which are either who cares, or 'that's the design' (I'm glad I'm not staff with that answer).

In the above example, their design doesn't have a visual indicator of on/off during on/off.  So, you click it, move the mouse, and see if the barely-grey changed or not, then click it again.  Then try the search one way, and then try the search after another click.  Then try several times. It's poor design, and after trying it several different ways, I move on.  

In 'my' Logos (which is user-specific) the bugs currently center in Text Comparison, Multiple Book Display, and TOCs. Almost daily. It's like in your kitchen, where they're at currently (not ours, of course).

Done ranting .... smiling.