Re: In support of Bowie

["Dan Kaminsky" <effugas best com>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Vogt <tom@lemuria.org>
To: gnome-gui-list@gnome.org <gnome-gui-list@gnome.org>
Date: Sunday, August 02, 1998 11:23 AM
Subject: Re: In support of Bowie


>Dan Kaminsky <effugas@best.com> wrote:
>> >2) it's a typical coder approach. as such, it doesn't necessarily appeal
to
>> >computer-novices.
>>
>> Got something better than a category approach assisted with a runbox?
>
>you know my proposal. I would have a small number of categories and
>everything else user-configurable. I would propose "System", "Apps" and
>"Games" to be the default categories, given the fact that these are the
ONLY
>categories 90%+ people have at least one program in.


Well, lets see what that would do to me.  I have on the order of...hurm, 5
SNMP apps, 3 telnet programs, 4 web browsers, five FTP programs, three ping
apps, four websuckers, two tracerouters, and who knows how many other
miscellaneous applications that were also installed uncategorized.  Are you
telling me that EVERY ONE of these should install straight to the System or
Apps--I dunno, where DOES a ping application go?--menu?!?  How will I ever
find Applixware among that flood of 26+ menu items?  :-)

Seriously, sorting by a standardized category+subcategory is the *only* way
to go, at least for default applications, and experience has *proven*,
beyond *any* shadow of a doubt, that very few users and this includes myself
will take the time to sort their appstarting menu.  They just don't.
Period.  It's a matter of fact, not of debate.

Now, does that mean users shouldn't be able to reconfigure their
gnomeprints?  Heck no.

Heh, wait, I have an idea.  Why not make the gnomeprint next to the file
menu the same as the gnomeprint on the panel?  That would mean the panel
could minimize the previously clicked application(not focus app) and the
application could load up other applications.  That's much more
self-documenting than "click that middle button to bring up a gnomeprint
menu anywhere", though we should still keep this functionality around too.

>
>> >you know my answer.
>> >application should install into menu, subject to user configuration.
>>
>> Should or must?
>
>should. some applications just don't go into a menu. stuff that works via
>applets, for example. that pilotlink applet if you want a real-life case.


I don't want an applet on screen all the time if I'm only going to use it
once or twice a day.