Re: multi gnome terminal

[Christian Rose <menthos menthos com>]

Cristiano De Michele wrote:
> > Subject: Re: gnome-terminal-extensions
> > Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 16:24:31 +0200
> > From: Cristiano De Michele <cristiano demichele na infn it>
> > To: Christian Rose <menthos menthos com>
> > References: <3B8BBC1B 1C1E9CFC na infn it> <3B8D8829 C776E46B menthos com>
> >      <3B8D90BA 785DC91 na infn it> <3B8E0CCF F5ECA7E9 menthos com>
> >
> > >
> > > If there is a toolbar with the same functionality, then why are the
> > > buttons at the bottom needed?
> > >
> >
> > anyway the 'new terminal' is a popup menu with all user defined command and it
> > is not
> > in the toolbar such functionality so but prev and next buttons other buttons are
> > quite
> > useful and moreover  it's a question of taste.

So, let me see if I understand this correctly, the "New terminal" is a
button that launches a popup menu with user defined commands? If this is
true, then my questions are:
	1) Why is a button launching a popup menu? This seems backwards
	to me, and the interface gives no hint at all that I can see that
	this is the case (usually an arrow indicates this kind of thing,
	but I would argue that the soulution below is better)
	2) Why is the button then labeled "New terminal"?

I think a better idea would be to simply include the menu with user
defined commands as a menu in the main menu bar. This probably helps
users spot that they can access these actions, and improves keyboard
navigation to access these commands.

Regarding this being a matter of taste. Well, yes, to an experienced
user it definately is. But on the same time I can't help thinking that
some things are backwards in the interface and do not behave (according
to your descriptions) as they usually do in graphical interfaces, there
is a lot of redundant functionality, and some things are confusingly
labeled. All of these are things that usually confuses and distracts
both experienced and novice users alike, and usually constitutes some
usability problem - the application is not as easy to use as it could
be.

Since you wrote to usability gnome org, I assumed you wanted advice. I'm
not saying that what I'm saying must be right, I'm fairly certain that
there are different opinions also on this list, I'm just trying to
identify spots that I think are possibly unclear and problematic with
the interface of this improved terminal.
Making such "problem spots" configurable and a preference is in my
opinion a bad way of getting rid of them, I think trying to identify and
resolve these issues is a much better approach. If you resolve them,
there is no need to make them configurable and try to hide them. There
can be too many preferences too, which also adds clutter and usually
also is distracting.

So let me first thank you for writing to the usability mailing list
(from what I know you are the first one to ask for advise on this list
:), but I also want to ask you to please be open to suggestions on how
you can improve the interface. Also, it probably helps a lot of people
if we keep this discussion on the list, instead of always replying in
private - that makes it difficult for other people to follow the
discussion.


> > The best way is that you see the multignometerm in actio nthere are also
> > executables now
> > try and send me your impressions, I wait them ok?

I tried to find packages, but I couldn't find them.


> > > change was what I suggested, yes.
> > >
> >
> > Have you some icon to suggest?

Stock close icon?

Thanks again!


Christian