In regard to: Re: gnucash 1.3.7 bugs., Michael Gerdts said (at 10:24am on...:
>This issue really seems to beg the question of who the target audience is.
>If it is accountants, it makes good sense to do things like accountants do.
>If it is the average joe that thinks that accountants are as nerdy as UNIX
>geeks but lacking personality, the more casual presentation of accounting
>should appear wherever there is a choice to be made between casual and
>technically accurate presentation.
That's pretty much exactly what I was thinking too. Apps like "Quicken"
use sound accounting principles but they aren't targeted at professional
accountants, so their interfaces are designed to be intelligible by Joe
User. A professional accountant may scoff at the interface, but the simple
interface on Quicken or MS Money is very good for its target audience.
>Since both types of users have to adhere to the same laws and spend money
>in rather similar ways, it makes a lot of sense to have a configurable
>system that allows some folks to have "credit", "debit", and "double
>entry", while allowing others to have "money in", "money out", "income
>categories", and "expense categories". And then when the average joe
>changes majors from history to business, a simple changing of preferences
>makes the personal finances turn into something that resembles things that
>he/she is learning about in accounting 101.
Perhaps, depending on how much work this turns into for the developers. Maybe
the "know thy target audience" answer will obviate the need for this much
flexibility. It's nice to have the flexibility, but there will be a cost
associated with it.
Tim
--
Tim Mooney [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Information Technology Services (701) 231-1076 (Voice)
Room 242-J1, IACC Building (701) 231-8541 (Fax)
North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105-5164
