Re: Session Properties and Crack up Programs

[textshell neutronstar dyndns org]

On Mon, May 20, 2002 at 05:36:05PM +0100, Glynn Foster wrote:
> Hey there,
> 
> So this afternoon, we decided to waste large amounts of time doing the
> UI/String review of this dialog....
Do you have log of it? I couldn't find them;-)

> basically most of this triple tabbed
> dialog is a load of crap and it would be really nice to kill *large*
> parts of it. AFAICS, it's confusing, broken and highly non-useful. 

I'm not sure, that this is the right aproach. I don't think is that confusing,
and it is an advanced capplet, anyway.

> I know we're in a UI freeze right now, but can we hash up a list of
> things that we *should* have in the dialog? I'm quite sure that the
> average user [1] wouldn't miss this dialog if it went away.
> 
Well not the average user, but the average(ENOENT) poweruser, that has to get
something fixed!

> I figure we could drop -
> 
> 'Automatically save changes to session' [2] 
> [2] On crack

Why? It won't hurt, it doesn't make internal logic overly complicated, and nnotr
every body like session managment as of today. (Yes in the start trek future we
might just like it;-))
I'm happy to see the same screen every time I log in, no matter how much I
messed it up last time. I really searched for such an option with
Explorer(windoze) quite a long time before giving up on it.

Yeah, I'm not the usual user, but why chop this option for "useability"
conserns?

> 'Show splash on login' [3]
> [3] damn it, we're GNOME! let's show it!

Ever heard about "splash screens are bad"? Do it if you have to, but most likely
some kiosk-systems will suffer, or some other thing.

> 'Choose Current Session' frame [4]
> [4] It's totally broken [I know, I designed it]

If it's so broken, we should fix it (or make something better). Till then it
should be hidden. So I agree on this point.

> 'Startup Programs' tab [5]
> [5] Although this could be a seperate dialog

Hmm, well it could be much nicer than having to edit a dot file in your
homedirectory to get something started. I personaly use the dot file approch,
but... It would be useful to know the current uses for it.

> 'Current Session' tab [6]
> [6] We should hide it in $(prefix)/lib/bonobo/monikers [7]
> [7] No one would think to look for it in there ;) [8]
> [8] No offence Michael
> 
Definitivly a BAD idea. We need this to fix stuff. Maybe some program is out of
control (UI hidden, no way to stop, whatever) and we need a way to get out ouf
the session. Or I might want to get one of the autorespawn programs out of it,
because it crashs or I have to debug it. (Yes you might think users debuging
gnome is bad).

And it's a nice way to see what going on in my session. To mislay this to
$(prefix)/lib/bonobo/monikers is a bad idea too, because we should not try to
shield the users from useful tools!


Let the people grow into their OS/Desktop and don't keep them in a sand box
forever!
We should not try the mimick Microsoft in making things obscure, undocumented,
intransparent.

> 			Comments, flames..please 
Flames on their way.
> 
> 				See ya,
> 					Glynn :)
> 


Martin H.