Re: [Usability] Re: making the conceptual model more concrete

[Dan Zlotnikov <dzlotnik perpugilliam csclub uwaterloo ca>]

On Sun, 6 Jul 2003, David Adam Bordoley wrote:

> Having a single view of all radio stations in a "folder" (probably a better
> term is "collection") which provides an interface for editing, playing,
> creating new radio stations is good. Forcing the user to think about it as
> an application is wrong. The folder would present the information (the radio
> stations) in a way that users could easily understand. When I say "links" I
> don't mean the literal .desktop file or symlinks. I simply mean objects the
> represent a station, however that may be.

First, how is this different from, in effect, making this repository of
"links" an application? Each type of object suggests a different, ideal
set of controls adapted to manipulation of that particular type.
XMMS keyboard shortcuts, for example, are targeting track manipulation,
and would be utterly useless when dealing with a text doc.

So now that we've generated a dozen or so repositories, each with its own
document type and its own set of controls, aren't we really back where we
started?

I'm not seeing how what you are suggesting is any different from being
able to double-click a file and have it start the default viewer program.

>
>
> >
> But this limits the user to only one calendar. I store a calendar as a file,
> clicking on a calendar object opens it in a view (whether this is another
> application, something similar to a nautilus view etc is an implementation
> detail and does not need to be considered in the model). You can manipulate
> this object like any other object, you can copy it, move it to the trash,
> duplicate it etc. Its the data not the view.
>

You didn't mention it here, but you keep referring to it in previous
emails; the idea of placing all these objects on the desktop. I can't
recall the last time I wasn't using a maximised window, with absolutely no
screen real-estate available for a whole lot of
directories/folders/repositories/whatever.

The fact that xclock doesn't register in the app list and doesn't allow me
to alt-tab to it is slowly driving me insane. I have to minimize or
shadow every single maximised window whenever I want to check the time.
This is a bad, bad situation.

In fact, I have a problem with the whole desktop metaphor. Think about it:
The RL desktop doesn't need to be visible to work on it. In reality, it
most frequently remains obscured by the actual work you are doing. Imagine what
a carpenter would feel like if he had to reach under his current piece of
work to get to the next part or to switch between tasks.

Dan