Re: [Usability] user levels, etc.

[Alex Barnes <alex barnes sympatico ca>]

On Sun, 2001-11-18 at 20:00, Tuomas Kuosmanen wrote:
[snip]

> 
> Yep. One can have stuff hidden in gconf, at least I think so. The
> CrackPipe app could then have plugins or something simple like that
> where you can submit those hidden-stuff lists and share them with your
> friends if you want.
>     

So, would CrackPipe be an all-encompassing app where you can tweak
absolutely anything and everything?  I was thinking that it might be
more straightforward to write a bonobized Prefs Dialog so that apps can
ship with a default Prefs Dialog, but Joe hacker can create his own
crack-induced Prefs Dialogs to hook into his apps without re-compiling
them.

In fact, this may even spawn useful app-specific Prefs Dialog
mini-projects, such as Ximian "branded" Prefs Dialogs with Rupert the
monkey or severely limited prefs for kiosk-based apps.

Is this possible to do with bonobo and GConf?  Would this reduce the
core maintenance work for GUI apps?

 -Alex

>     Furthermore, I /do/ claim that more preferences (in the long term) ==
>     better to use, and further, that those that claim that they know best
>     about which set of simple preferences are best are often at best wrong
>     and at worst extremely arrogant in their choices.
> 
> I remember being had my butt flamed by Maciej about the importance of
> user testing. I know it now. The best defaults are often the ones what
> most people expect the application to do.
> 
> Of course there is a even deeper problem, one should design the whole
> application from this perspective. Concentrate on a task, and first plan
> and do some testing on how to accomplish the tasks most easily and
> efficiently.
> 
> iMovie for mac is one of the most brilliant apps I have ever seen, and
> it is very task centric. It lets you edit your own digital video, and it
> is so easy you just sit on front of it and it just makes sense. Still it
> is not any way limiting. For real pro's there are other tools, but a
> talented person can do awesome stuff with it.
> 
> Yours gently,
> 
> Tuomas
> 
> -- 
> :: :: Tuomas Kuosmanen  :: Art Director, Ximian :: ::
> :: :: tigert ximian com :: www.ximian.com       :: ::
> 
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