Whenever I observe a Windows user (sometimes very proficient in IT) struggling with UI to invoke some sort of a tool of immediate necessity and just scrolling through start menu icons instead of relying on “CTRL + R + type exact executable or applet name” or just “WIN + type immediately what you need” I found it really weird. I mean that’s fine for vi proficient Linux command line guru or a Windows user whose needs do not go beyond web browsing and couple of regularly used apps/games, but when I see this type of behavior from full-time IT person touching Windows systems on a daily basis that seems to me a really strange avoidance to learn fundamentals/tools of one’s craft 🙂
As I’m currently using Linux more and more it is quite interesting to observe various levels of the same paradox/pattern among more then proficient Linux (desktop) users. For example, the other day during the training, I was observing instructor trying to guide a student to invoke Linux context menu and use “Open in Terminal” while that stubbornly tried to rely on search to find Terminal icon there 🙂 So use of context menu from empty desktop area and selecting “Open in Terminal” is a LEVEL2 way of accessing Terminal… but honestly what one should do, and what is true LEVEL3 ,is to use CTRL+ALT+T hotkey whenever one needs to jump into terminal from desktop UI, this is as cool as using what was called MCSE hot key in times long forgotten to invoke Task Manager (CTRL+ALT+ESC). Using hotkeys may not or may not impress other people (frequently it does), but you should learn them just because it makes your work so much efficient – after passing through short learning curve you just won’t want to use “long path” of accessing things which is reserved for people who didn’t care to learn shortcuts and trying not to notice how slow and clumsy wading through UI is at times.
I just wanted to share/reiterate that knowing some hotkeys just speed ups you a lot, and I guess the one should remember that being a professional implies both understanding of software use cases and inner workings as well as its usage basics (such as knowledge of hotkeys and UI features) – both things are required to be considered as a professional in the field IMO and it is sad to see that some trying to neglect the basics, let’s do not do that 🙂