Re: RSG, draft three

[sun <as387 yfn ysu edu>]

Dan Kaminsky wrote:

> 2)  The style guide needs an "exception" or "experimental" category, in
> general.  Most MP3 players don't follow UI guidelines--and shouldn't.  We
> need a special category to decide what minimal GM/G1 (Gnome Mandatory/Gnome
> Level 1) standards experimental apps should adhere to.  Stuff like, "If text
> is selectable, the copy keybinding must still initiate a copy."  Or "If the
> application provides the visual appearance of termination, it must have
> actually terminated.  Applications may not 'minimize' themselves for
> efficiency purposes under any conditions if the user can be reasonably
> thought to have tried to exit the application."

i think the approach to this category of software is going the wrong
way.

the examples given, kai software and mp3 players, shamelessly fly in the
face of apple's style guide and break every little rule they possibly
can. the question is, so what?

it's great software, it is still designed well in spite of its
differentness, and it's still rare enough that it doesn't cause major
consistency problems. so what's the problem? let them be non-compliant.
no need to bloat the style guide to accomodate software authors who
don't give a rip what's in the style guide anyway. :) that would be like
a girls' school headmistress, when confronted with an all-nude girls
basketball team screaming "we wanna play nekkid" and brandishing large
sticks, going, "um, well, uh, okay." i kinda think they're going to do
what they want anyways, so it doesn't matter. let them go. enjoy their
software. don't try to pin them down.

hmm. all-nude girls basketball teams screaming "we wanna play nekkid."
hmm. think we can fit them into the style guide, guys? :)

--
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety." --Benjamin Franklin