Desktop Configuration

[John R Sheets <dusk smsi-roman com>]

Dan Effugas Kaminsky wrote:
> 
> >> That's just it...users really don't mess with user created
> >> structures....they don't make user created structures...they just don't.
> >
> >why are you so sure? they don't at the moment, with the tools at hand with
> >other systems. and we've had that discussion already, we agreed that it's
> an
> >awful mess to customize your windoze stuff, and I pointed out that what I
> >have in mind is not only much easier, but also quite different.
> 
> Users will keep whatever they're given.  For crying out loud, it's just
> highlight-and-delete to remove something from the Windows Desktop, and you'd
> be surprised how much stuff will linger on many people's desktops!

Yes, but Windows has such a huge public perception as being
hocus-pocus and unstable that people are _afraid_ to touch it. 
They don't want to delete that icon because it might have some
special, magical purpose that they don't comprehend, and M$ has
done very little to dispell that belief (encouraged it if
anything).

If GNOME provides the user with enough simple, up-front control
over their desktop, accompanied by good, friendly help ("Yessss,
it's ooookay to delete that icon; you can always put it back
later, with so-and-so tool riiiight here..."), the user will
become more comfortable with making changes.  Naturally, former
Windows users will have to be reassured more than others, to
overcome these fears.  But if GNOME is well-laid-out and easy to
configure, they will gain more confidence as they go, instead of
staying at a plateau, like beginning Windows users often do.

It's all in the presentation.

John