A wizard is a common tool in modern computer applications that acts like a small
Expert System. Seen as annoying by many experienced users, wizards are meant to help new and unexperienced users complete tasks such as formatting a
Word document or
Excel file, burning a
CD, setting up an internet connection or whatever other task that would be otherwise above the heads of a basic
end-user. They exist to support users who do not have the training or time/inclination to play with software for hours on end.
Microsoft is especially inclined to using wizards to simplify the process of using their software into steps that monkeys versed in
English could accomplish. Many other application development companies have included wizards into their products to simplify tasks that would be tedious or overly complex and can be handled by
optimization software instead.
Wizards are a simplification of the tools that are provided by the program, set up by programmers to use those tools quickly and simply so that the general user don't get bogged down in learning how to upload a double column Ap-J format and not screw it up by hitting backspace too many times. There is a philosophical clash here with many mid to high range computer users who are used to play with programs and learning their secrets. Wizards try to present themselves to the user, as anyone who has tried to remove Clippy can visualize, and this presentation annoys some who think that this is an attempt on the part of the people who made the program to impede their learning of it.