Re: [Usability]too much choice?

[Sean Middleditch <elanthis awesomeplay com>]

On Fri, 2003-02-21 at 13:37, Alan Horkan wrote:
> I expect many of you have noticed some of this on Slashdot.
> http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/02/21/003225
> 
> While Havoc had some very good points in his essay about too many
> preferences, there were a few things about it that did not sit well with
> me although i did not think about it deeply enough to be able to provide
> good feedback.
> (/me is trying very hard not to comment about options XYZ i miss in
> metacity).
> 
> I found this rebuttal very interesting
> http://www.mosfet.org/free-software-rebuttal.html

Less weird options also helps to avoid accidental breakage.  Plenty of
users play with options, either out of curiosity, or confusion.  Other
users just think they know a lot more than they do (not surprisingly, I
find myself having do with more support request from those kinds of
users than any other - bloody fools).

It's like putting a passenger eject button in cars - sure, the advanced
people (spies, carjacking victims, people with mother-in-laws) would
use, but the average person would probably just end up hurting
themselves or someone else.  So just think how *dangerous* all those KDE
using people are!  ;-)

Now, granted, a lock-down feature would help with this immensely.  But
then, some default lock-down policies would be needed - if I need to
spend 4 days pouring thru every option to determine which to lock down
(and to what setting), and then worry about new options introduced in
upgrades, well; I'd just not have the options there to begin with.  ^,^ 
When GNOME gets its lock down features, there should definitely be some
default policies like "Kiosk," "Office," "School," etc.


> the most important idea in it to me was that you can have much more
> options if you organise them better, organisation is the bigger problem
> than too much choice.
> 
> Sincerely
> 
> Alan Horkan
> http://advogato.org/person/AlanHorkan/
> 
> 
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