Usability? We don't need no stinkin' usability.

Cre8pc.com is a forum on website usability issues. A recent article, in the course of discussing why website usability is important, observed a phenomenon with which I am all too familiar:

"... sadly, especially in the case of web sites, the biggest hurdle is just getting the boss to understand that just because he or she likes or wants a particular design, doesn't mean it's going to work for everyone else."

I'm reminded, among other things, of a decree that the "last poster" information be removed from the template for a certain set of forums, because The Boss found it "cluttered" and aesthetically unpleasing. Numerous pleas from admins, moderators, and users alike that the information was needed and used were futile. The Boss didn't like it, want it, or need it, therefore it would not be there.