Re: [Usability]Re: A "cheat" to full window manager integration

[James Ramsey <jjramsey_6x9eq42 yahoo com>]

--- Christopher Warner <zanee kernelcode com> wrote:
> James Ramsey wrote:
> >
> >I can think of two problems with wrapping a window
> >manager theme and a GTK+ theme together:
[snip]
> 
> >2) It may not be desirable. It is relatively easy
> to
> >design a window manager theme that looks exciting
> and
> >visually strange but doesn't interfere with one's
> >work. It is far more difficult to design a GTK+
> theme
> >that is both striking and interesting, but not hard
> on
> >the eyes. Users wishing to strike a balance may
> simply
> > use a funky window border theme with a less
> exciting,
> >but more manageable GTK+ theme. IMHO, this is a
> more
> >compelling argument against a combined theme.
> >
> You're talking about a poorly designed theme, 
[snip]
>
> What 
> you say above doesn't provide any technical reasons
> as to why combining 
> themes might be bad except for the fact that some
> theme designer made a 
> poor choice.

My point is that it is easier for a theme designer to
make poor choices in widget theme design than in
window frame design. It's the difference between
designing something that one looks at all the time and
designing something that one glances at. Widget themes
are more complex and thus more prone to design errors.


With a combined theme format, one is likely to see
window frame themes good enough for use saddled with
hard-to-read widget themes.

Don't underestimate the user too much. It's easy
enough to visually distinguish between a window frame
and the contents of the window. It's jargon like
"widgets" that will tend to get in the way.


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