Re: [Usability] User knowledge level setting

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Mon, 1 Mar 2004, Daniel Brodie wrote:

> Date: Mon, 01 Mar 2004 00:05:15 -0500
> From: Daniel Brodie <daniel brodienet com>
> To: Nadyne Mielke <nmielke acm org>
> Cc: usability gnome org
> Subject: Re: [Usability] User knowledge level setting
>
>
> > Many users, when presented with an interface that will hide
> > functionality from them, will tend to choose expert.  Users don't tend
> > to like the idea that their applications are hiding something from
> > them, or that the application thinks that they're too dumb to be able
> > to use all of the functionality in the application.
>
> I would also like to add that many times a user uses an app on a novice
> level, but once in a long while they need an advanced feature. So to use
> it, they woul dhav eto switch to the advanced user mode, navigate an
> interface they are not familiar with, find the feature they want to use,
> and then bring it back to novice.
>
> This is solvable using somthing like MS uses for dynamically changing
> menus based on usage, but needless to say, that is a very bad idea for
> many reasons.

My objection to that feature is that it does so without asking.  There is
also the important arguement that just because you dont use a fire
extinguisher very often doesn't mean you want it hidden away.

If the feature worked quietly in the background without making changes but
and presented its suggestions on how to customize the interface only after
long term usage and or as part of the interface to customize menus then I
believe it would be geniunely useful and I would actually very much enjoy
getting my own usage information from Gnome that enabled me to make smart
customisations.

Sincerely

Alan Horkan
http://advogato.org/person/AlanHorkan/