Re: Exciting GNOME?

[Ryan McDougall <NQG24419 nifty com>]

On Mon, 2005-14-02 at 13:31 +1300, Callum McKenzie wrote:
> On Mon, 2005-02-14 at 10:40 +1100, Jeff Waugh wrote:
> > Hey,
> > 
> > Here's a list of screenshots that wonderfully demonstrates why GNOME does
> > not come off as an exciting, fun, cool desktop for end-users to love. They
> > are not show-off screenshots, just normal, everyday things:
> > 
> >   http://www.fireflybsd.com/screenshots/
> > 
> It strikes me that the single biggest difference between the screen
> shots is the theme (widget, icon, background and window manager). KDE is
> shinier and more eye-catching. It also has more buttons and so looks
> more detailed and interesting (in a screenshot), but I think this is a
> very secondary concern.

What strikes me is (except the evolution v. kmail screen) how much
simpler and uncluttered GNOME is compared to KDE (read usable)!

Keramic (?) looks like Fisher-Price silliness, but Plastik is the best
theme on Linux IMO.
> 
> Should we start the default theme flame-fest again? I don't think so.
> How about we run a grand default-theme competition and let our community
> get involved with the design. (I envisage this being judged rather than
> voted on so we get something that is both usable and pretty, because
> votes only go to pretty.)

Actually I recommended from the beginning on having someone(s) judge the
best for a new theme, but I recall being told that wasn't
'consensus'. :)

While the default theme *is* butt-ugly, I also recall there being some
concerns that its was more accessible or had less usability bugs or
something, and replacing it meant trying to fix a whole new slough of
bugs (can anyone correct me on this?).

I also found this 
http://mail.gnome.org/archives/desktop-devel-list/2004-
August/msg00238.html

which could/would/should be rendered obsolete by using GtkUIManager, no?

Perhaps we can rename default to GNOME-Usable or GNOME-guaranteed-to-
work-technically, and leave it as the default. The rename
$SPIFFY_NEW_THEME to GNOME-Purdy, and thus have two default themes for a
short $while. During that $while we close all bugs on GNOME-Purdy, then
migrate over to it as default. 

Perhaps $while = 6 months to a year?
> 
>  - Callum
> 

Cheers,
Ryan