[Usability] fwd: I would like to join the GUP

[Kenny Graunke <kenny whitecape org>]

Hi all,

Karim sent this to me, so I thought I'd forward it here...I doubt he's on
the list currently.

--Kenny

----- Forwarded message from Karim A Nassar <Karim Nassar nau edu> -----

Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 02:06:35 -0700 (MST)
From: Karim A Nassar <Karim Nassar nau edu>
To: dcm redhat com, d-mueth uchicago edu, kenny whitecape org
Subject: I would like to join the GUP

Hi there. I am a senior Computer Science and Engineering student at
Northern Arizona University. I have taken several user-centered design
courses and it has become my passion. I want to change the world, but I
fear that the best I can do is create usable software. :-)

I have experience (albeit limited) in usability testing, task analysis,
and user analysis (although I am sure these last two tasks are completed).
I am relatively well read in the areas of usability and user-centered
design for someone who was introducted to usability only two years ago.

I appreciate the efforts of the gnome project and wish to make it better.
At times I feel that gnome can take advantage of areas where other
projects and monopolists have failed. One idea I have is described below.

I would like to create an incremental search widget for gnome. I am sure
you are aware of the advantages of incremental search vs. delimited
search. I feel that it would be really nice if every gnome developer could
easily create an incremental search option for text areas and trees. Two
examples of where this would be useful are: in galeon for searching web
pages and in the gnome control center options tree. This should be easy
for users to use and programmers to program.

Basically, if one wishes to include an incremental search for their app,
they would register with the incremental search widget (ISW). ISW would
index the content in a seperate thread (so that the user didn't have to
wait during the indexing). The develper would have the option of retaining
the index for future use (the next time the program was run).

Upon hitting the 'search button', the user would be presented with and
incremental searcher box that would allow this beautiful method of
searching to occur. Perhaps this could even be built right into the app
instead of a seperate window. I am unfamiliar with the gtk and am unsure
how this would fit in.

Please let me know where I can help and if the ISW idea appeals to anyone
enough for the design to be fully discussed in an appropriate forum.

-- Karim Nassar


----- End forwarded message -----