Re: [Usability] Foobar Menu Layout

[Gregory Merchan <merchan phys lsu edu>]

On Wed, Jun 04, 2003 at 10:39:05AM -0400, Luis Villa wrote:
> [Since I suppose I'll spend a lot of time talking about XD2 and our
> design choices at GUADEC, I might as well start now.]
> 
> On Wed, 2003-06-04 at 06:44, Alan Horkan wrote:
> > I expect that Microsoft Windows users would be more comfortable with
> > Programs (because windows uses "Program Files").
> 
> That's part of it; partially it's just that (even after repeatedly
> asking the usability guys in various forums) I still have no idea what
> the distinction between applications and actions is. And part of it, of
> course, is that it was very well recieved in XG1.4. [Anna may have more
> detail on why that layout was chosen for XG1.4- I really don't know.]
<snip>

On Windows, there are "Programs" and "Settings".
On MacOS, there are "Applications" and "Preferences". (Right?)

I like Windows here because its words are shorter and more familiar to
speakers of English.[1]  I've been told, and I think I confirmed it, that
MacOS has "Preferences" because the word indicates that nothing can go
terribly wrong. I don't think I buy into this psychologism. I don't know
why (or for sure if) MacOS has "Applications" instead of "Programs". An
application is a kind of program - one for the user, unlike the kernel.
I doubt most people appreciate the distinction. The only reason I imagine
MacOS might have "Applications" is to avoid alliteration.


> > Shame Nat is using PPT instead of SXI (Star Office Impress/Presentation)
> > but I can only hope that it is part of convincing people how good
> > StarOffice is at dealing with Powerpoint Presentations.
> 
> Unfortunately, we're a business, not tech freedom evangelists (at least
> not on paid time.) Our customers repeatedly complained that people using
> star office were surprised when other people couldn't read their files.
> So we fixed that problem by making our Open Office defaults to .doc,
> .ppt, etc. I hope someday that can change but it can't right now.

I'm going to invent a universal document format called "along". Then I'm
going to make bad jokes about it. Can't we all just get "along"?


Cheers,
Greg

[1] From WordNet:
    application used as a noun is common (polysemy count = 6)
    program used as a noun is common (polysemy count = 8)
    preference used as a noun is uncommon (polysemy count = 4)
    setting used as a noun is common (polysemy count = 6)