Re: [Usability] Using Control-Esc and Windows keys to access the start menu

[Lennart Borgman <lennart borgman 073 student lu se>]

Shaun McCance wrote:
> Being able to use the keyboard for all operations is
> absolutely a necessity.  Whether or not there should
> be a keyboard shortcut (and there is one, Alt+F1) is
> not the issue.  Whether it should be Ctrl+Esc (as well
> as Super, as well as Alt+F1) is the question.
>   
Yes, you are right.
> You stated earlier: "I have not seen anyone argueing
> that very basic mouse operations should be different."
> Surely you see the difference in *intuitiveness* with
> the how you mouse to the menu.  A keyboard shortcut
> is just an abitrary decision of keys.  How else would
> anybody possibly propose to make the mouse work?
>   
You are right, that was perhaps a stupid argument on my side.
> I don't think we should be bending over backwards to
> mimic other operation systems.  There are certainly
> many cases where common behavior is beneficial, 
Beeing able to at all start using the system is one in my opinion.
> and
> plenty of cases where we can ease transition costs
> by implementing learning paths that cater to users
> of other systems.  But these things do always come
> with a price, and we have to decide if the price is
> worth it.
>   
Will not then all the normal questions apply:

- Price / benefits for whom?
- Long / short term advantages / disadvantages?
- How does it fit long / short term goals?
- Reactions from current user base?
- Reactions from possible user base?
- Willingness from developers to develop and install changes? (After all 
they belong to current user base - and are of course then biased ;-) 
Nothing bad about that, but it must be taken into account, both from 
those making a proposal (like me) and from the developers. Otherwise 
there may be an unsolveable conflict just we see things from different 
sides.)

None of these questions can be answered fully as far as I understand it. 
A lot of feelings will be involved. Again, this is not bad, but must be 
noted.