Re: Some criticisms of GNOME

[Thilo Pfennig <tp alternativ net>]

> > GNOME/GTK file open/save dialog.  That's one of the things that really
> > made my daughter hate GNOME and GTK-based apps that use that dialog. 
> > She gets totally lost when she has to deal with that dialog.

I think the dialog right now is very good. The only problem I have is if
I have to choose a binary in Firefox or so to open a file. Then it takes
ages to get a listing - and there is no way to just type in the path. I
would like to see the standard "open with" dialog there.

 
> > The GNOME interface is also inconsistent in the way it handles things. 
> > I won't go into detail now, but GNOME often makes things easy for a user
> > at the cost of limiting what GNOME can do afterward. 

I do not think that this is in any way inconsistent. This makes things
simpler. I bet his daughter has used Windows before.


> > But wait, there's even more.  Shift-double-click to close the previous
> > window?  How intuitive is that?!?!?  

I do not think that options need to be intuitive. Everybody can close a
windows. 


> > But what probably irks me the most about GNOME is that it forces you to
> > choose between what OTHERS have decided your desktop should look like. 
> > This is the same as "Didn't anyone consider that people work differently
> > than they do?"


This is the main difference between KDE and GNOME. And I applaud GNOME
for doing so. BTW: I never got KDE to look and behave like a Mac, so KDE
keeps to be KDE in many sense. I think GNOME is more elegant. I expect
from a Desktop to be as stable and normative as it can be. Otherwise it
is just a toolbox everybody can use like he or she wants. There is no
GUI design but more a toolbox design. Nobody decides how things should
actually work, so everybody uses a GUI different. Developers can not
depend on it. I think one of Apples greatest work was the
standardisation of the interfaces and that nearly all important Mac Apps
behaved the same. I do not like programmers being creative with the
interface if not necessary.

And I think from teh development perspective if everything is possible
you can not depend on anything. This should make development a LOT more
complicated (anything can happen). I like to compare this to a car: it
is not wise to build a car where interior displays and gearshift lever
could be "customized". Things only fit if you know where they are, how
they look and how they behave.

I really would say GNOME should not try to satisfy the needs of people
who want to customize everything. I can imagine this as an approach of
people who use many desktops and like GNOME to look like OS/2. This
might be good for some people, but it will exclude many newcomers.


> > from the newbie users to the power users, and build a
> > desktop to please them all. 

This is the Windows approach. I rather see all this as a matter of
choices. I like KDE being different then GNOME. I could switch if KDE
would please me better but it doesn't)


> >  The first step I recommend is that you ditch that
> > completely absurd file picker and replace it with one that is BETTER
> > than the KDE file picker.  The KDE file picker is incredibly attractive
> > and powerful, but it has weaknesses -- you could kick it's butt if you
> > just put some thought into it.  I have ideas if you're interested. 

This sounds like GNOME 2.8 criticism. I think the Favorites in the file
picker make the file open dialog much more productive if used wisely. I
am using then heavily now and I can not imagine how I could work without
them.

I think people are different. It is an illusion to create the perfect
desktop for everyone. People get used to what the learn from previous
Desktops. GNOME should make a Desktop that is easy to use, especially
for new users and that makes it easy for developers to enhance and to
build uppon.

GNOME surely is far from perfect. But that could be said about all
desktops. GNOME has moved in the right direction, but some things could
be solved better. But as many things have changed to the better I am
very optimistic. And I think GNOME is an exciting environment.


Thilo

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blog: http://www.alternativ.net/~vinci
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