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Hidden interface controls that affect usability

In the early 1960s, Douglas Engelbart [1] first introduced the notion of

With drop-down menus, people without specific, detailed training, and knowledge could access and use computers effectively and efficiently for a variety of new tasks that became attainable because of the new interface paradigm. Many specialized research personnel are being compelled to move away from menu-driven systems (e.g., SPSS) and back toward line editing programs, such as R. In its base form, R is just like the DOS window, and the tyranny of the blank screen looms large over the interface. It's time that interface designers reevaluate their use of hidden controls and work hard to create more usable systems where the functions of the device can be accessed completely and fully using only knowledge in the world.

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