Re: gnome-shell-list Digest, Vol 31, Issue 89

[Matthew Planchard <msplanchard gmail com>]

On Wed, May 18, 2011 at 11:01 PM,  <gnome-shell-list-request gnome org> wrote:

I admit that was a bad analogy (I should have thought of a more solid
one). Bicycles are cheaper than motorcycles and are used for exercise,
while motorcycles are used for quickly moving around. The difference
here is that GNOME 3 and GNOME 2 are meant to do the same thing, which
is not the case with this analogy, so it's a bad one as I said, and I
apologize. GNOME 3 aims to be better than GNOME 2 at the same job (and
in many areas it already is), so a "what's good for you might not be
good for me" argument isn't really appropriate here.

I think a better analogy is switching one of the old pedal brake bikes for a newer, handlebar brake model. I learned how to ride on a bike with pedal brakes, and when I first got a bike with handlebar brakes, I felt lost and confused. I just wanted the pedal brakes back, because they seemed like a better system and I was used to them. However, it was standard wisdom in the bicycling world that the handlebar brakes are better, and every high end bicycle has them. So, after giving it some time and working with the new system, rather than pining for the old, I found that the handlebar brakes are much better, and now I find it extremely odd and inefficient to go back to the old system.

One could also remain in the bicycle world and make an analogy from switching from a "regular" bike to a road bike, or from switching from a bike without gears to a bike with gears. However, I think the brake analogy is the best, because you're not gaining any new functionality; it's just a better way of doing things. You just have to take the time to get used to it and trust that the people who designed it had a legitimate goal in mind.

Namaste.

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