Mark Bernstein, writing Intuitive, argues that professional software doesn't always have to always make things intuitive because it makes things possible. It's a short, stimulating perspective by someone who does the real work. (Bernstein is the creator of Tinderbox, the software I've been using for over a dozen years to create this website.)

I generally agree with what Mark is stating, as not every tool should be reduced to the simplest, monkey-proof set of options. Easy and intuitive are fine goals and should almost always be measures of success, but that doesn't mean a product has to be intuitive for every type of user. It's OK for a tool to be written for people who know what they are doing and what they want to accomplish.

Documentation faces a similar challenge that is, perhaps, even more pronounced. It's very common for writers and reviewers to want the instructions written for "the grandmother who just bought her first computer," or the person who, apparently, has no motivation or reason to be using the software in the first place.

See also: The Lowest-Common Denominator Problem, Unintended Consequences of Good Documentation, and The Forgotten, Yet Passionate, Middle