Re: [Usability] The eternal fileselector dilemma :)

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

forcibly dragging this back onlist out of necessity.

On Wed, 20 Oct 2004, Bastien Nocera wrote:

> Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 17:46:11 +0100
> From: Bastien Nocera <hadess hadess net>
> To: Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>
> Subject: Re: [Usability] The eternal fileselector dilemma :)


> > Bastien, how does that kind of response help the situation?
>
> It relieves me, and it's much nicer than what I had in my mind.

The usability mailing list is not intended to provide relief for all the
things that annoy us much as I would like it to.

I know my comments are patronising but only out of necesssity I think it
is childish to respond rudely when no response at all would be more
helpful.  If I did it I would expect to be called on it in a second.

> > Please try harder to resist the temption to fire off knee jerk repsonses,
> > even if users do not manage to provide constructive criticism.
>
> "do not manage to provide constructive criticism"?

> You mean rant without even trying the software?

clearly the user tried the software and had a problem with it,
what the user failed to do was provide a description of the problem that
we could work with.

It is simply unacceptable to blame the users for having difficulty with
the software, on any list most of all on a usability list.

> I have no sympathy for this kind of thing.

At the very least ignore it.

> > It was decided that this list would be open and that anyone could post to
> > it and I moderate messages accordingly, letting all genuine messages
> > through.
> >
> > Unpolished feedback from angry users is better than no feedback at all
> > and we should try to appreciate when users make the effort to provide
> > feedback.
>
> Why would I need to make an effort if that person doesn't?

It takes less effort not to post at all than it does to post a message
likely to further annoy the user instead of politely trying to get them
to provide feedback we can work with.

> > If we act as you did in your response we will be fullfilling accusations
> > of arrogance that have previoulsy been made.
> >
> > As we represent Gnome it behoves us to be polite, friendly and tolerant
> > when we do post or at least try not to post when annoyed.
>
> I don't represent anyone but myself.

Not officially but your actions and how you treat Gnome users on
Gnome mailing lists reflect on the Gnome Community.

If a user posts to a Gnome list and gets a rude response, the user will
not discriminate and will simply think the Gnome community is rude.

Like it or not you do represent Gnome.

Sincerely

Alan Horkan

http://advogato.org/person/AlanHorkan/
Inkscape, Draw Freely http://inkscape.org
Free SVG Clip Art http://OpenClipArt.org