Re: Thumbs up!

["Bojan Smojver" <bojan rexursive com>]

------- Original message -------
> From: David Prieto <frandavid100 gmail.com>
> Mac OS X has dock. Windows 7 has its own version of taskbar, which is
> > cascading, if I remember correctly.
>
> All these have the same common trait as the taskbar; they are tiny
> representations of open apps, placed NOT according to the real window's
> location. Which was precisely my point.

Both of which are different from Gnome 2 taskbar. I am not advocating 
taskbar in particular (nor do I use it often). Anyway, see below.

> >  People remember things visually, by shape, size and position.
>
> Therefore it must be easier for them to identify their windows looking at
> relatively smaller representations of them, located in relatively similar
> positions, rather than in tiny representations located according to 
> launch
> order instead of position. Which is what a taskbar, a dock and even the 
> Dash
> are.
>
> Surely you will agree with this, won't you?

What I would agree with is that workplace management has to make windows 
bigger then current Gnome 2 switcher. I don't know - by something 
complicated like clicking on the workspace one would like to manage in the 
switcher maybe?

Changing size and position of windows for everyone is simply not helpful.

Gnome had workspaces precisely to avoid cluttering, which then requires 
expose or taskbar. Instead of extending this good concept, we got forced 
into expose no matter what.

And yes, workspaces should be static for that same reason (although I 
thought at one point dynamic ones would be a good idea too - I was wrong).

> >  Not semantics. If I look at my workspace switcher in Gnome 2 now, my
> > windows are where they are. They won't move or resize.
>
> So, in Gnome 2. How do you reach a window that's hidden behind a bigger 
> one?
> Without resorting to the taskbar, of course, which, based on your own
> arguments, we already established is worse for finding stuff.

If you have a lot of windows behind one another, this is where things like 
expose _are_ actually useful. Or are smarter taskbar.

Forcing expose on everyone all the time is the wrong thing to do.

PS. Sorry for mixing workplaces and worspaces. Never know which is it.

--
Bojan