Text is an infinitely flexible UI, but it takes time to consume.

· Bits and Bobs 5/18/26
  • Text is an infinitely flexible UI, but it takes time to consume.
    • It used to be that software couldn't produce text, so UIs had spatial metaphors.
      • These happened to work well with how our brains work, allowing us to absorb a lot more all at once.
    • But LLMs made text interfaces possible.
    • Text is infinitely flexible, but it takes time to scan and consume.
      • The dreaded "wall of text."
    • We're enamored of text-primary interfaces today because it's a new party trick and it's flexible, but the real value will be generative UIs.

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