Re: [Usability]widget style vs window decoration, (was "cheat to window-manager integration")

[Mike Newman <mike gtnorthern demon co uk>]

On Thu, 2002-07-25 at 18:27, Daniel Borgmann wrote:
> On Thu, 2002-07-25 at 18:59, Christian Rose wrote:
> > tor 2002-07-25 klockan 04.36 skrev Sunnanvind Fenderson:
> > > I like the word "widget", and it's not particularly harmful for it to
> > > be present.
> > > 
> > > Before I knew what the name for widgets were, i.e. before I'd heard
> > > the word widget, they were really hard to talk about, and even as a
> > > non-programming user many people would like to do that.
> > > 
> > > (With "application theme" I'm reading "application specific themes"
> > > which would be very wrong.)
> > > 
> > > Calling the widget style settings "widget style" is a gentle way for
> > > people to find out that the common name for those clickable
> > > thingamajigs are "widgets".
> > 
> > We are not here to educate people, we are here to present people with a
> > usable desktop, and preferrably regardless of their previous familiarity
> > with certain design terminology.
> > 
> > Not all people are of the kind "oh here is something that I'm not
> > familiar with, let's see what it does" but rather "oh here is something
> > that I'm not familiar with, better not touch that". In that respect,
> > presenting the user with strange terminology is something that should be
> > *avoided* rather than enouraged.
> 
> But he has a point... There simply is no other word (yet?) for "those
> clickable things inside the application window" than "widgets". Do you
> really think it's more efficient to constantly try to talk around the
> real thing than just telling them once what Widgets are? Just imagine we
> wouldn't be able to use the term "Windows" for those... well windows,
> because people weren't used to it!
> Let's say someone wants to change themes... He will look at Desktop
> Preferences -> Themes. This should be one program, showing some tabs for
> different theme settings. The "widget theme" would most probably be on
> the first page and there you could place a little explaination, or even
> better an example graphic so people would immidiatly learn what Widgets
> are.
> Of course I would also prefer a wording that is more near to reallife...
> but it would have to be unique IMHO. Like "Application Interface" or
> something.

Perhaps 'widget' or whatever is a term best supported with an
illustration of what will change? Not ideal for visually impaired users,
but hopefully it'll generally convey the idea.

Mike