Re: [Usability] GNOME 2.6+ usability: points of critique

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Mon, 11 Oct 2004, Luca Cappelletti wrote:

> Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2004 17:40:11 +0200
> From: Luca Cappelletti <luca cappelletti gmail com>
> To: Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>
> Cc: usability gnome org
> Subject: Re: [Usability] GNOME 2.6+ usability: points of critique
>
> Hello,
>
> this is my last post on this thread,
>
> > >
> > > You start with a religion war.
> >
> > > Your point of view smells like a problem of a generic geek but the
> > > audience of the Gnome is desktop for everyone (like my syster, my
> > > mother and so on...)
> >
> > Sure that is our primary audience but we
>
> who, please?

the archetypal 'ordinary user' (like your mother, sister, and so on...)

> > want to retain the geek audience
> > too if at all possible,
>
> me too, but Gnome is desktop for everyone,
> so that geek tools must be hidden.
> Or you want to reinvent the wheel?

ordinary users dont turn into geeks overnight,
and it is hard to know which tools to hide and
which to make easy to find.

if an option is too well hidden it will be useless to all but the
ubergeeks!

> Gnome community has not the power (today) to invent a new wheel.
> The OO world is out there working.
> OSX use it, WinXp use partially it, SGI IRIS use it...
> What do you want to invent?

> Actually Nautilus works well, you can use the spatial mode and if you
> have problems...use the navigational browsing...because if you try to
> use the nav mode could be you're a geek coming from the M$ world or
> KDE like one.

spatial doesn't work as well on smaller screens, less room to have a few
differnet windows open and drag and drop from one to the other.

I do like spatial and it works for me most of the time but i still
often use more complicated hierarchies of folders for a more detailed
organisation and categorisation of my files and prefer to use the
browser.   (I started on Mac in school but have mostly used Windows PCs
and only started to use Unix when I went to university in case you are
intersted about where my bias is coming from and only since Gnome 2 have I
been using Gnome the majority of the time).

> > > Is absolutely fundamental that you rave this problems to the Gnome
> > > community. You cannot make only simple critics.
> >
> > If a bit of raving is what it takes to get it off your chest and keep you
> > using Gnome it might be worht it.
>
> I'm sorry.
> I've used a sad term (to rave).It's just a problem of my English.
> I agree with you.

English is terribly imprecise, particularly when you are tyring to
convey subtle emotion in written language, it might seem like you are
ranting and raving when you are just mildly disgruntled or a tad annoyed.

> Ok, I cannot reply to the last statement you made because it smell
> like you're flaming,

My apologies if it seemed that way.

> I'll take in consideration your suggestions.
> But don't forget that we live into a democracy.
>
> Now you've the last words, this is my last post into this thread
> because this is a usability list.

> If you want to say me something write me directly so the list will be
> more clear.

We are mostly in agreement anyway I dont expect I have anything more
to say on the topic but feel free to mail me offlist if you wish me to
clarify anything I might have said.

- Alan