Re: Proposal, and about icons in the path

["Justin Ross" <opiskin hotmail com>]

>a few items:
>
>1. i have a really big bone to pick with the dual-paned approach to 
>file management (tests have shown it to be quite counterintuitive; >see 
apple's file manager for a better approach to trees) but since >you can 
turn that off i don't have too much to complain about there. > :)

I agree with you: I don't like the tree either.  It's handy once in a 
while.

>2. the menu button is a good idea but must have a more intuitive >icon. 
i suggest using the mini-gnome-foot by default (since >everywhere we see 
it, it already means "click here for a menu!") but >should be 
user-configurable. if the gnome menu (or application menu >or whatever) 
makes it to the menu bar by default, it should use the >same icon for 
consistency.

Well, I'd agree, but two things: (1) the gnome-foot is for app-wide menu 
options, while the folder menu as I conceive it applies to the whole 
folder when no item is selected, or to the current selection.  So, there 
a little different.  (2) I propose we embed the same interface into gmc, 
and if that happened, there would be two gnome feet in the same area.  
Best to avoid that.  See my mockups of gmc at 
http://www.olywa.net/opiskin/gnomeui/gmcmockups.html if you'd like to 
see what I've in mind.

>3. i agree the up-arrow is a necessity, but its purpose should be >made 
more clear. the icon you have there now is non-intuitive.

I've tried to come up with something better, and it's not easy.  There 
is precedent for this kind of icon already: gmc uses it in addition to 
the left- and right-arrow history buttons.  I think that, since the 
interface will be dealt with frequently, the user will treat it as one 
whole unit, and the semantics of the individual icons may be less 
important than their positions.

>4. i look forward to reading your reasons for using icons in the
>pathname. i disagree but will reserve argument until after i've read
>your proposition.

The short version is: the unix file hierarchy is great for sysadmins, 
not so great for my grandma.  I want to hide the system's file tree 
(though not prevent the gui user from accessing it).  I think we should 
build a new hierarchy in each user's home directory.  When my grandma 
wants to read the PPP HOWTO, instead of winding her way to 
/usr/doc/HOWTO/other-formats/html/, I want her to be able to open a 
documentation folder straight of the desktop, perhaps under 
[desktop]/reference/HOWTOs.  In this respect, I hope we emulate OS/2's 
WPS. 

Granted, the user should be able to choose.  To the gurus, obscuring the 
real file hierarchy is just an annoyance.  They should be able to turn 
it off.

Justin

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com