[HIG] Introduction

[Gregory Merchan <merchan phys lsu edu>]

I'm currently a physics student at Louisiana State University. I have no
formal training in HCI, but I've independently studied much of the
sciences of which it is comprised as well as reading many HCI and
accessibility writings I've found on the web and on the book shelves. I
am aware of more which I intend to read within the year.

I could attempt to describe myself further, but when sober enough to see
I am doing that, I find it distasteful.

Since I have little history to point to, I will instead briefly describe
my interests in GNOME and the GUP.

The word list -
  Too often arguments hinge on some unspoken difference. To this end
I've started a word list with a very liberal inclusion policy for now.
This is not meant for end-user eyes, but for us to have a lingua franca
as we hash out problems and present them to the rest of the GNOME
hackers. A recent thread on the usability list has more information.
Here is a good start:
  http://mail.gnome.org/archives/usability/2001-July/msg00085.html

Standards -
  I don't want to work on GNOME only to see it fizzle away in the next
five years. To this end I am interested in seeing it conform to the
standards that underlie it (such as those of Unix, X, and the Internet)
or change those if need arise. There is a wealth of experience to be
found in most of them with which many GNOMErs are perhaps unfamiliar. I
would hate to have to solve old problems again. I am not a conservative,
I am interested in standards insofar as they represent problems already
solved and ways to resolve problems that can arise. I also think they
provide us an edge in the quest for world domination.

Making a environment with the elegance of Unix -
  I do not say desktop for two reasons: I think GNOME can and should be
more than that, and I don't want to be bound by the metaphors chosen by
others. Computers are everywhere - server rooms, offices, homes, the
palm of your hand, and various devices we rarely consider. 
  I don't want an arcane text-only environment, but I think Unix has an
elegance which has yet to be brought to a graphical environment.

The 0-1-n model -
  I have spoken of this on IRC and I am still writing paper to
elaborate. The idea is to consider systems as having a fixed number of
simultaneuous users under the rule advised for numbers in programming
(0, 1, n ). I'll have more on this later so for now, just the examples:
a kiosk has 0 dedicated users, a typical home computer has 1 user at a
time, and a workplace computer may have any number of users logged in at
the same time.

Looking forward to it,
Greg Merchan
(auspex)