Hidden/advanced app preferences: good or evil?

[iMeowbot]

This came from a discussion out in the big blue room. Do hidden preferences make life easier for beginners, or harder for everyone?

For the purpose of this poll, we'll work with the following definitions:

Hidden preferences are options you can set in a program, but there is no interface. You need to use the defaults command from Terminal or the Property List Editor, or edit some text file by hand, or create some file with a magic name, etc.

Advanced preferences are options that you can set from within the program, but the interface is minimal. Instead of checkboxes and sliders and menus, you are presented with a list of option names and manually enter values. The about:config page in Firefox or Camino would be a good example.

 

[fall3n]

though i'm used to programming for the web, i think i like GUI. It gives a sense of more safety...even if there really isn't any

 

[mad jew]

I like the GUI too, but I hate it when Preferences can become convoluted like in certain Office apps. I like the option to let the Preference window show an advanced set of preferences, on top of the standard simple ones.

 

[gekko513]

It depends. I think most software should strive to be as easy as possible to begin using, but then again it sucks if the software doesn't do what I need it to do. If advanced preferences are needed to add some functionality, then I think they should be there, but I don't mind where they are as long as they're documented. I don't need "advanced" preferences that don't add any real functionality if the preference panes are beginning to get cluttered.