User-unctuous
<jargon> (By analogy with
user-friendly and
user-obsequious) User-interfaces that attempt to soothe (or, some would say, stupify) users instead of cooperating with them.
Common "features" of user-unctuous systems include: icons of happy faces; mellow colors; melodic sound effects or even mood music; help tips appearing unbidden and at unhelpful moments; and a cloying tone either in system messages ("Oops! I couldn't seem to find my old preferences file!
I do think I'll have to make a new one!
Please press OK to continue!") or in labelling of system components (such as the main hard drive being labelled "Your Hard Drive" -- or, with infantile pronoun-reversal, "My Hard Drive").
