Re: Proposal for default panel layout w/ some modifications to the panel

[James Ramsey <jjramsey_6x9eq42 yahoo com>]

--- Sebastian Kapp <lasheimok web de> wrote:
> On 15 Jun 2001 08:45:59 -0700, James Ramsey wrote:
> 
> > This is why I suggest that there be a baseline 
> > configuration sufficient to access the
> functionality
> > of GNOME that is *always* present, and can't be
> > removed (except by advanced users?). The baseline
> that
> > I chose was a modified menu panel and a pager.
> Above
> > this baseline, users can tweak and customize to
> their
> > hearts' content, and if they screw up their
> > customizations or get confused, they still have a
> > baseline config to fall back on. Having a
> nonremovable
> > baseline config also means that users who have
> > problems can RTFM or search FAQs at their leisure.
> > They don't have to have the answers RIGHT NOW when
> > they have a project due or a deadline to meet,
> because
> > they can use the baseline config to get work done
> in
> > the meantime.
> 
> You're kind of right, it's good to have a fall back
> for new users, but you
> offended everyone else by suggesting that it's
> /impossible/ to change that
> base configuration. Because virtually everyone on
> that list /wants/ to
> change it.
> 
> What you all totally ignore in that discussion is
> the we /do/ have user levels
> in Gnome 2! Coders already decided that the concept
> of user levels, introduced
> by Nautilus, is A Good Thing (tm) and want to make
> it system wide.

If you look back at what you quoted from my e-mail,
you'll note that it contains "(except by advanced
users?)". I put it in parentheses with a question mark
because 1) I wasn't sure that system-wide user levels
were going to make it into GNOME 2.0, and 2) I wasn't
sure that user levels were a great idea in the first
place (and I'm not the only one with misgivings about
them). I'm still not sure if user levels are such a
*great* idea, but from the look of things, they may be
the best compromise between the wants of the current
GNOME users and the needs of naive users.

> Let's see it this way: There was an idea about a
> sane default configuration with
> the hint that new users shouldn't be able to change
> it. Everyone else answered
> "Ok, but everyone but the beginner may change it."

As far as I could tell, the ones who were offended by
the idea of nonremovable panels weren't the same ones
who brought up the question of user levels.

> So instead of arguing like "new users shouldn't be
> able to change it" versus
> "but I want to change it!", we should discuss what
> options belong in which user
> level.

Fair enough. I'd still say that only advanced users
should be able to remove the baseline panel config.
Most of the current GNOME users probably fall into the
"advanced" category, so that would not be as
restrictive as it seems. However, perhaps the best way
to determine what user level should be allowed to
remove the baseline config would be to do some more
usability testing.

Frankly, I'd rather see some discussion or criticism
of some of the other parts of the proposal, such as my
proposed layout of the menu panel, or whether there
should be a tasklist applet as part of the baseline
config, or whether the proposal is feasible at all, or
if someone has some better ideas on what the layout of
the baseline config should be.



=====


----I am a fool for Christ. Mostly I am a fool.----


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