The target user and consequences

[Stephan Pfab <pfab thales mathematik uni-ulm de>]

The target user of GNOME will be neither
  a Windows user, a Mac user, an Amiga user, me (sadly),
  Miguel, a coder ...

GNOME will be (more or less) different from every other GUI.
That means that everybody will have to learn to use GNOME efficiently.

Accepting that GNOME is different we should make it clear to the user 
too. If we follow any other GUI too closely he will
not tolerate the differences. The first impression must
indicate clearly that this application follows the GNOME model
and not any other.

After we create this expecation we must follow through.
Whatever we decide to be top level GNOME behavior we must
enforce it. As many people said consitency is the key.
Consistency with ourself not with any other GUIs or
expectations.

The consequences:

  We should not follow the Windows look or feel or menu order ...
  (substitute Amiga/Next/Mac)
  if there is no good reason to do so.

  We need visual clues to brand applications as GNOME applications.
  (I love the foot).
  Some phantasic GUI elements to distinguish us from the rest,
  would be great. (Not everything new, but something)
  (colorreaction, ...)

  We need to enforce inner consistency.
  (this will never allow emacs to be a real GNOME application :-( )

  We need to think very hard about what is required from a GNOME app.
  The defaults we choose will be used 90% of the time, regardless
  of themabilty (see emacs). But complete restriction will throw
  people off (see KDE).

  The defaults should give room to expansion, (see emacs key binding).
  (binding "alt" to menu open seams like a waste of an modifier).

  We need to come up with this standard pretty fast.
  (The coders will hate the GUI proposel people
   if they have to change their programs dramatically.)

  We have to accept compromises.
  (I will sacrifice emacs, the program I use most of the time.
   What do you sacrifice ? Menu entries ? ...)


lets propose not flame

Stephan

-- 
Will verify for food