The good folks at DocuTicker have ferreted out another provocative paper: Setting Software Defaults: Perspectives from Law, Computer Science and Behavioral Economics from the University of Illinois Legal Working Paper Series. This paper discusses the implications of default settings in software – be that default password settings, default user preferences, privacy options, desktop settings, web filters, cookies, wireless security, etc. Then it explores when and how policymakers (be they developers, manufacturers, government officials or executives) should intervene to "ensure that defaults settings are set to enhance societal welfare."
One of the points the paper makes is that most computer users aren’t aware of defaults. They are at one end of a spectrum that also includes the people who know about the concept of defaults and are vaguely aware of how to change them. Then come those who change some defaults, and finally those who examine/tweak default settings in all programs.
I’m afraid I only look to change defaults when I’m annoyed by the software. And there are plenty of defaults I’d like to change, but haven’t taken the time to reset – or I can’t get the resetting to stick. Here are some defaults I’ve changed:
Browser Home Page – I don’t remember what it was set for, but my work PC goes to CNN and the kids' PC goes to the Hunger Site.
Outlook reading pane – now on the bottom.
Links in email open in Firefox.
Photos open in Adobe Elements (I’m not so happy with this as images take too long to open)
It makes you wonder what the defaults are in the software you use all the time but you’re not aware of. If you can, read the article. It’ll make you realize you aren’t exercising as much choice as you can -- an idea that has implications beyond the desktop.
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