I really appreciated the end of this article where he argues that some users could appreciate a service more if they realized how hard a problem it is solving.
It makes me think of the first iMacs having clear backs so you could see inside and see how complicated but tidy it was inside. Contrast that with a modern iMac where you'd have a hard time even opening it.
I think most people on HN belong to a segment of the population that wants to know how things work, that is always asking questions, that grew up taking things apart to see inside. As much as I wish it was different, most people are not like us. They want things to just work, they ask for the elevator pitch, they want the milk not the cow.
If you're making something for the HN crowd, then by all means give them a peek behind the curtain. But if you're selling mass market, keep it simple and abstract away all the "messy" details.
It makes me think of the first iMacs having clear backs so you could see inside and see how complicated but tidy it was inside. Contrast that with a modern iMac where you'd have a hard time even opening it.
I think most people on HN belong to a segment of the population that wants to know how things work, that is always asking questions, that grew up taking things apart to see inside. As much as I wish it was different, most people are not like us. They want things to just work, they ask for the elevator pitch, they want the milk not the cow.
If you're making something for the HN crowd, then by all means give them a peek behind the curtain. But if you're selling mass market, keep it simple and abstract away all the "messy" details.