[Usability] Topaz [was Re: spatial desktop]

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Fri, 15 Sep 2006, brian muhumuza wrote:

> Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 13:51:34 +0300
> From: brian muhumuza <brian muhumuza gmail com>
> To: Usability gnome conference <usability gnome org>
> Subject: Re: [Usability] spatial desktop

> > cannot open it again. This should be the case for files. We open a
> > file, it gets shaded/greyed and we cannot open it twice.

This would in some ways be a step backwards from what we currently have.
If you are willing to provide the necessary code people could probably be
persuaded to try it but without code I do not think that suggestion
will be adopted.

If you are sure that one step back would allow two other steps forward I
would encourage you to think of some other way to achieve similar
progress.

> > Why can't I open a file in both a text editor/viewer and a hex
> > editor/viewer at the same time?

> Going down that road can lead to many places but the road i'll take leads to
> discussion about gnome 3 (project topaz).

If I was being cynical I would say Topaz isn't going to happen and we are
going to continue with gradual improvements over many more 6 months
cycles.

There will eventually come a time when Gnome wants to switch to Gtk 3 and
deprecate various old API's and at that point there might also be a Gnome
3 release but the ideas that Topaz would be dramatic change are unlikely.

My thinking is that if the Novell Slab start menu were to be adopted,
dramatically changing the default layout it would be as good a time as any
to declare 3.0 and move on.

> Back to our desktop,

Our desktop is heavily dependant on mouse and keyboard input.

I think including a typing tutor by default, and getting users to learn to
type could fundamentally improve the experience users have interacting
with their computers.

It occured to me several times over the past few years that users are not
comfortable with the primary input system for their computer so it is no
wonder computers are so difficult to use.  Imagine driving if you had to
look down at your feet and check which pedal was which?

We assume a pen or pencil is a comfortable way to work but that is only
true because were are all schooled and literate but it was once difficult
to learn.


Sincerely

Alan Horkan

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