I’m all for progress in software, adding new features and facilities, but often is the occasion where something is added that caters to a specific need or want that isnt necessarily shared by all (or sometimes even most) of the users of the application. This is great, and I love the fact that the developers take the time to write the code to include this feature and make it available.

Sadly there seems to be somewhat the starting of a trend of trying to ladle in new features to applications, and not giving any option to disable the new addition. This becomes especially problematic if your new feature takes up valuable screen space on the already limited display of a mobile device, such as with the new trending bar at the top of Twitter for iOS. Another particularly annoying one recently was the inclusion of Deck.ly support into Tweetdeck (though thankfully this was given a disable option shortly after!)

It’s normally not that much extra work or code to add something in to the options to allow users to disable these new features, and might even help you retain userbase. Sure you dont want your options dialogs to be turning into the spanish inquisition, but there has to be some middle ground here. I’ve personally ditched apps both on desktop and mobile in favour of a competitor product because I couldnt tolerate a new feature, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

So please, I’m begging you, if you codesoftware (mobile / desktop / web, whatever) then please put the decision back with the user as to which features they do and dont have to use or have displayed?