Re: [Usability] Keyboard prefs, layouts tab

[Shaun McCance <shaunm gnome org>]

On Mon, 2006-04-03 at 11:01 +0100, Joachim Noreiko wrote:
> --- Matthew Paul Thomas <mpt myrealbox com> wrote:
> > To get back to your original problem about how to
> > document this, I 
> > suggesting writing a step-by-step "How to use
> > multiple keyboard 
> > layouts", using apologetic humor to pick around the
> > whole Charlie 
> > Foxtrot.
> > <http://g2meyer.com/usablehelp/singles/245.html>
> 
> In the prefs help, I've added a link to the Keyboard
> Indicator panel applet.
> I do plan on writing a whole new section on various
> keyboard & mouse features (eg primary paste, & so on),
> which would also cover this. (Ideas on where I can
> shoehorn this into the User Guide would be
> appreciated!)
> 
> But documentation can only go so far. This interface
> needs fixing. 
> 
> Joachim
> 
> PS. I'll think about the humour angle. Hard to get
> right, though.

Be careful with humor.  I'm pretty sure the Style Guide has
some sort of blanket "Don't be funny because somebody might
think you're a human being" statement in it somewhere, but
that's just another case of our recommendations over-stating
themselves.

You do need to bear in mind that people don't all have the
same sense of humor.  Hey, fine, so somebody didn't laugh
at your joke.  As long as he still got the information he
was looking for, no harm done.  But be careful that your
humor doesn't offend people.  Religious and political
cracks are probably a bad idea, for example.

Laughing at oneself, however, only risks offending, well,
one's self.  But then, if you fill up the documentation
with "Ha ha ha, we couldn't make a better interface.  We
can laugh at ourselves!" which reaction do you think we'll
get from people?

"Tee hee, they can laugh at themselves."
"Hardy har har, I should stop taking this so seriously.
 Maybe I'll drag my ass away from this computer and go
 for a walk.  It's a nice day out."
"STOP LAUGHING AND FIX THE DAMN INTERFACE!"

Just be smart about it.  Don't take every dumb-ass wisecrack
I say in IRC and put it in the docs.  That's sure to piss
people off.

--
Shaun