A computer shall not harm your work or, through inaction, allow your work to come to harm.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Software should actively protect user work and not allow harm through neglect.
- In plain terms
- Computers must not damage or neglect your work.
- What can you take from it?
- Systems must prioritize data safety and reliability.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does your software protect your work?
- What should computers never do to your files?
Another view
Sometimes hardware failure causes harm regardless of software design.
More from Jef Raskin
The system should treat all user input as sacred.
Permalink to quote #8 A computer shall not waste your time or require you to do more work than is strictly necessary.
Permalink to quote #10 As far as the customer is concerned, the interface is the product.
Permalink to quote #7
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