Re: [Usability] GNOME 2.6+ usability: points of critique

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Mon, 11 Oct 2004, Robert Fendt wrote:

<snip>

> Up to 2.2 (or even 2.4) I liked GNOME 2, do not get me wrong. I still like
> it. The problem is just that for some time now with almost every new
> version a feature I was used to (i.e., was using on a daily basis)
> vanishes or becomes very well hidden. It really seems that I fall out of
> GNOME's target group. And if that is really the case, if GNOME 2 is really
> only about "everything as simple as possible", where even the screen saver
> setting is considered a "complex" option then, alas, I fear GNOME 2
> simply is no longer for me.

> Why? The gconf-editor clones the principle of the Windows registry editor
> almost 1:1, albeit XML-based. I never liked the registry in Windows, why
> should the concept become any better in GNOME?

I am not entirely sure why but I think it is because of the flaws and
failures people associate with the Windows registry it is generally
considered insulting.

> Or simply include an "advanced" button in the configuration windows and do
> not make me use gconf at all. Or introduce a global "advanced user mode"
> flag in GNOME.

I'm sure you must have used earlier versions of Nautilus and realised that
there is not clear line between ordinary user and advanced user and that
you were turning on Advanced Mode to get at one or two features.

Which is why the idea of Advanced Modes gets the short shrift anytime it
has been suggested since.

An abstract interface to turn off things that make the system slower, like
animations and decorations and other convieniences might work as a logical
grouping.  I think there may already be a "Tweak UI" like program that
collects together and provides access to some of the commonly requested
features that people usually have to rummage around for in gconf.

> > > 2) I am used to and can productively work with browse-mode file managers
> > > like Nautilus used to be until GNOME 2.4. In GNOME 2.6 spatial mode was
> > > added. Fair enough. But why does the upgrade simply change the default
> > > behaviour without asking me, seemingly expecting me to re-learn before I
> > > can get any work done? That is quite arrogant.
> >
> > It would have been nice to have been able to upgrade cleanly without
> > changing your existing setup and that is an unfortunate but it is too late
> > to do anything about now.
>
> That's right. Although I stick to my point: it is _not_ up to the GNOME
> developers to decide with which metaphor the user is more comfortable. I
> am an old stager and very comfortable with browse mode. Why semi-forcing
> me to switch? And even for new users: there should be a wizard at first
> start (like KDE does) asking a few simple questions about the user's
> background and configure it accordingly.

I expect the developers wanted to get you to at least try it (and probably
no one wanted to make the extra effort on getting the seamless upgrade to
work so that you could ignore their efforts.)

Wizards, now officially referred to as "Assistants" are generally annoying
and need to be used with great restraint and since Gnome 1.4 we have
managed to convince a lot of applications to get rid of Wizards asking
unnecessary questions at startup.
(The gimp, Evolution, and GnomeMeeting being the few remaining examples I
can think of)

> > glad that you haven't given up entirely on Gnome
>
> Would not think of it! As I said, I like GNOME.
>
> > > but when I extrapolate the
> > > current development, I am not very confident.
> >
> > I hope you understand that was not a very nice way of putting it, and not
> > likely to encourage the kind of responses you really want to your message.
> > I'm hoping others have kept their responses polite though, this list is
> > usually very good about that kind of thing.
>
> Yes you are right. Apparently I was not in a good mood when writing the
> initial post. My apologies to everyone feeling insulted; it was not meant
> that way. I meant was I wrote above: that I feel GNOME is shifting its
> target group in a way that I am not included anymore. In that case of
> course I cannot hope to for my problems with it to go away but to become
> worse.

Glad you were able to clear that up.

- Alan