Re: What silly preferences do we actually use (Re: [Usability] user levels, etc.)

["Sergio A. Kessler" <sergio_kessler hotmail com>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Havoc Pennington" <hp redhat com>


> 
> My feeling is that most desire for preferences I would consider wrong
> comes from the fact that people have used various UIs in the past, and
> don't want to learn new ones. So for example, I use odd window focus
> modes, weird Emacs-derived text keybindings, some funny
> WindowMaker-derived window manager keybindings from when I used
> WindowMaker long ago, etc. Most loud complaints about UI seem to be
> based on similar stuff - someone used to do it in X way when they used
> some other UI, and they want to keep doing it X way.

agreed 100%

NOW, current windows users want the same.
(and they are the 90%+ of desktop users)

until now, gnome users are mostly hackers,
if gnome will be targeted for novices and windows users,
do you all have in mind that windows users are just like you ?
(ie. "they want to keep doing it X way.")

[...]
> I think some battles caused by historical UIs are unwinnable. For
> example, focus mode for the window manager should just be in the main
> prefs dialog, even though it will really be evil for novices.

true, windows wm practically has no options, has nobody
has died nor reduced drastically their work because of this.

> But many
> other issues are small enough that we can ask people to please learn a
> new way of doing things, instead of cluttering interface and
> implementation.

good, but you will have two options:

1) tell all the hackers to re-educate (0.1% desktop users)
2) tell all windows users to re-educate (90%+ desktops users)

if you go 1), are you prepared to change your habits ?
 are gnome hackers prepared for this ?

due to the fact that they wrote the code, some will
prefer to die before taking out their favorite option

for example you say that focus mode should be in the
main prefs dialog EVEN when you recognize it is evil
for novices, why ?
because it happens that /you/ use "odd window focus modes"
see ?

now, extrapolate your example to all hackers that use
"odd x y mode", and all will tell you that that option
should /really/ be in the main prefs dialog...

conclusion: hackers will have to loose for gnome to win.

(and I don't think they are prepared to loose, at least
not yet)

if you go 2), /I/ think you are screwed...

/sergio