Using telnet to access the public library catalog, and UI takeaways from it

I smiled when the screen loaded

The Hong Kong Public Libraries Publc Access Catalog via Telnet

If you’re an old geek like me who got introduced to the internet through Telnet, Lynx, Pico, Pine, and Gopher, you might like to use the telnet interface of the Hong Kong Public Library Catalog. It’s nostalgic.

Okay, forget about nostalgia. This interface actually works well.

1. The user knows all the available top-level options right away.
2. Look at Option #11. There are funny characters after “Change to Chinese” but when viewed in a computer system enabled with Chinese characters, that will indicate “繁體中文” — the non-English reader will be able to easily guess he or she needs to enter 11
3. The color contrast is fine (unlike “sleek” modern web designs that uses a medium gray text color over a light gray background).
4. In about a minute after the screen is loaded, the user understands very well what he or she needs to do next.

It doesn’t always have to be pretty.