Re: [Usability]Galeon 2 usability

[Ricardo Fernández Pascual <ric users sourceforge net>]

El lun, 14-10-2002 a las 07:19, Jeff Waugh escribió:

> The Settings menu items in my Galeon 1.2.x:
> 
>   Load Images >
>   Animate Images >
>   Proxy >
>   ---
>   [ ] Use own fonts
>   [ ] Use own colours
>   [x] Allow Java
>   [x] Allow JavaScript
>   [x] Allow popups
>   [ ] Work offline
>   ---
>   Preferences...
> 
> I think most of these settings change things for which 'the damage is
> already done'. Java, JavaScript, popups, images... If something breaks or
> looks funny, the damage is already done, so changing an option here doesn't
> help a lot.
> 
> 'Work offline' and perhaps the proxy settings are probably the only ones I'd
> keep, were I choosing. :-) (If we had a cool location/sessions kind of
> setup, you could just switch proxy settings with it, kinda like Mac OS X.)
> 

I think that if we agree on keeping the "Settings" menu we could keep
(almost) all the options. What we have to decide if if we keep the top
level "Settings" menu.

> > - preferences: there are many missing preferences in galeon 1 when
> > compared with galeon 2. This annoys many users. It has been suggested to
> > provide two different "Preferences" dialog, one simple default and another
> > for "Advanced" users.
> 
> That was a nightmare with Nautilus, I wouldn't recommend it to the authors
> (they'll have to maintain and support it), or your users (they'll have to
> learn the concept, and why they can't find a specific preference because
> it's hidden in their user level).

If we decided to have "user levels" we would have only two
(simple/advanced) and I hope that it will be changed only with a command
line option (or gconf key).

> 
> > Examples of removed prefs are: mouse button bindings, mouse wheel
> > settings, autocompletion behaviour, default stylesheet...
> 
> If you want to make an omlette, you have to break some eggs. :-)
> 
> (Default stylesheet may be an issue for accessibility, not sure. If you care
> to maintain the functionality of the others, leave a few GConf keys for
> advanced users.)

I think there is one for that (maybe broken atm). Most removed prefs
already work as gconf keys. But users don't find them and keep asking on
irc and mailing list (even relatively advanced users). 

> 
> > - gestures: galeon 1 supported gestures. This added some preferences to
> > the already crowded dialog. Gestures were not enabled by default because
> > they conflicted with the standard context menu. Should gestures be kept in
> > galeon 2? Should they be enabled  by default?
> 
> They seem to be a bit of a fad feature, but if you're going to keep them,
> why not add a little gestures widget next to the throbber? Then users can
> click-n-drag from there. Might be a good compromise for the context menu
> problem at least.

Someone proposed that but the people using gestures didn't like it
because they said that it made gestures pointless.... I don't know.
Gestures are crack IMO. I ported them to galeon 2 just for fun. But lots
of people seem to use it...

> Anyway, all of the above is very specific stuff that you guys need to deal
> with as appropriate to your users and your aims. If those aims have anything
> to do with getting into the GNOME Desktop release, your users may change a
> bit. :-)
> 
> > - mime handling: galeon has a small separate mime database which is easier
> > to edit and works well for galeon.  It remembers previous user choices and
> > fallbacks to gnome-vfs when possible.  Also, some people think that users
> > should be able to choose the helper used by galeon without affecting the
> > gnome-vfs mime database.
> >         
> > The disadvantages of using only gnome-vfs would be:
> >         
> > 1) Global effect of changing a default helper

What about this? 

(I'll leave philipl the rest of the mime questions)


> How about a pesky analogy? :)
> 
> Galeon is like a cruise ship headed for Tahiti. It's bright and warm, people
> are sunbaking, playing quoits and generally enjoying themselves. This is the
> journey. Tahiti, our destination, is the GNOME Desktop release, and Galeon
> is cutting a fast track over the high seas towards it.
> 
> But then, someone realises that their cruise is headed for an island
> paradise with coconuts and palm trees, and has second thoughts about the
> whole journey thing. So, they leap on the nearest life raft or dinghy and
> start paddling home to, I don't know, Wisconsin, or Canberra, or some place
> you couldn't paddle to anyway, even if you tried. [1]
> 
> There would be nothing cooler than seeing Galeon in the GNOME Desktop
> release... Ideally, it should be a matter of "two great tastes that taste
> great together". To do that, it needs to fit in with GNOME's general UI and
> audience goals, be maintainable... and have a vision.
> 
> The fact that you guys are looking seriously at your user interface, and
> making some awesome improvements is very encouraging, but you need to know
> where you want to go... Look at the new GNOME Desktop, metacity and even
> Phoenix (competitor alert) for examples of this. Galeon's original vision -
> "the web, only the web" - is a great vision to start with (or perhaps get
> back to).
> 
> So, if someone thinks they're macho enough to row their own dingy to
> Wisconsin, so be it. It's a shame they didn't like the cruise, but they'll
> probably be happier at home anyway (should they make it). Everyone else, in
> the mean time, is... Going to Tahiti.

I want to go to Tahiti. But I want to take my TV and some appliances
there too. I couldn't live in Tahiti without TV, my phone and some of
the things that I'm used to have in the civilization, even if Tahiti is
very cool with all those beaches, palm trees, etc.

-- 
Ricardo Fernández Pascual
ric users sourceforge net
Murcia. España.