Re: [Usability] Re: on gconf-edit

[Maciej Katafiasz <mnews22 wp pl>]

Dnia 19-10-2004, wto o godzinie 15:27 +0200, Reinout van Schouwen
napisał:
> >> a) How can "simple" ever go too far, and why do you claim Epiphany is
> >> "dumbed down"?
> >
> > Because there's point when there are two HIG recommendations broken:
> > 1) Keep user in (direct) control
> > 2) Keep user informed
> 
> *snip*
> 
> Your arguments, while interesting, are based around the assertion that 
> "simple" apps are voodoo-izing things and making the transition from 
> "newb" to "proficient user" difficult.

Simple apps are good, "simple" ones are not. As always, knowing measure
is necessary, after all you can intoxicate yourself even with vitamin C
if overdosed ;). Things working "as if by magic" are nice, voodoo is
not. And voodoo happens when all your fairy magic insulates user from
practical knowledge, instead of making it easy to assimilate[1]. I'd say
rule of a thumb for detecting voodoo is when your app doesn't make
learning curve less steep, but insteads artificially cuts it off at some
level

> You name one example for Epiphany, namely the implicit Downloads folder. 
> Exactly how does it take control away from the user and keep him 
> uninformed?

You click Download - *poof*, file is downloaded "somewhere" -- now it's
up to you to figure where exactly, or give up searching. In my case that
was really non-trivial task, since I had desktop already heavily
populated with often-accessed folders.

But as I said -- it's rather hard for me to come up with many good
examples in Epi, as I use it very sporadically

> > Yes. Particularly I miss scroll-on-middle-button, it's totally
> 
> It's the same thing as with window managers, every advanced user has his 
> own pet feature that he thinks should be supported. The thing is, at 
> some point you have to choose reasonable defaults and go with them. 
> You're still free to write extensions, or use another browser if you 
> prefer.

That's exactly why I prefer Galeon :). And I very much don't consider it
"power user" feature, just as I don't think mouse-wheel is show-off
gimmick nowadays ;)

> > extension is not good, since it overtakes middle button, while I want it
> > to be right one, and doesn't allow me to configure that. There are also
> 
> => bugzilla.gnome.org
> 
> > other things that come up in actual use (does Epi support smart
> > bookmarks and magic URL expansion, as in "gg foo" -> "search foo in
> > google"?), but these two spring to mind immediately
> 
> Smart bookmarks yes, keywords no-- but the need for keywords is 
> diminished in Ephy since all smart bookmarks are shown below the URL 
> completion dropdown.

hmm, that's not good enough, since it requires one more level of hand-
eye coordination. Magic URLs are great since they can be 100% automated
-- and as we all know, thinking is bad for your efficiency :). Since I
tend to use it hundreds of times a day, that would be serious drag to
need to consciously look it up each time

Cheers,
Maciej

[1] I'm sure everyone has seen secretary filling in some forms, and
taking her hands out of keyboard just to grab mouse and click into next
field, instead of tabbing to it -- that's prime example of failed
transition, when lack of enough practical knowledge seriously hinders
smooth operation. Correct solution is to gently introduce user to more
more intrinsic details of things' workings, not to shield her from them

-- 
"Tautologizm to coś tautologicznego"
   Maciej Katafiasz <mnews2 wp pl>
         http://mathrick.org