Re: SV: [Nautilus-list] Desktop folder

[Abe Fettig <abe fettig net>]

> Consider the first-time user, starting up GNOME: If they've been using
> KDE, or whatever, and the first time they log in they have icons -all
> over- their desktop, which is supposed to be simple and basic, they'll
> have a terrible first impression of GNOME.

What about considering a first-time user to Linux?  If a user is
switching from KDE to Gnome, and they've filled up their home directory
with files, they probably have enough experience to work through
cleaning up their home directory.

I think that, for first time users, putting the home directory on the
desktop will end up being highly intuitive and make their experience
using Linux better.  Of course, the only way to find this out for sure
is to do some usability testing, and doing so before making this
decision would be a very good idea!!!

> The default should be the option that makes sense for the
> majority of the users and cater to the lowest denominator (if it's
> reasonable).  If an advanced user wants $HOME as a desktop, that's fine,
> but make them look for it.  

What's lowest common denominator?  A person who's spent 10 years using
Windows but never used Linux?  A person who's used KDE but not GNOME?  A
person who's never used computers?

Again, the only way to know for sure how one of these people would react
is to do some user testing.

I think that users who have lots of experience with other environments
might have a bit of a learning curve, since this would be breaking from
the conventions used by other desktop environments, but overall I think
the change results in a better experience.  It's different in an
innovative way.

> I'm all for making it a configurable option, but I don't think it's a
> big problem as long as we clearly distinguish the difference between
> one's home directory and one's desktop.  Windows seems to do this just
> fine, so I don't think it's a big usability problem.

I'm sure MS did some usability testing on this, but bear in mind that
the Desktop directory dates at least as far back as Windows 95, which
was a single-user system that had no concept of a Home Directory for
users to put their files in.

Thanks for letting me put my two cents in here.

Abe