Workspaces [Re: [Usability] nautilus, panel, and metacity not acting as if the desktop was a single entity]

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

Another dicussion on workspaces ...

On Fri, 13 May 2005, Phil Bull wrote:

> Date: Fri, 13 May 2005 18:17:09 +0100
> From: Phil Bull <philbull gmail com>
> To: usability gnome org
> Subject: Re: [Usability] nautilus, panel,
>      and metacity not acting as if the desktop was a single entity
>
> > The idea that icons should be only in a single place on the
> > desktop, not always in all workspaces, seems to me to be sensible.
>
> In terms of consistancy, yes, it would appear to make sense.
> Usability-wise, maybe less so.

Going a little futher offtopic (like everyone else) I want to point out
that I *never* use workspaces.  At this stage it has nearly become a
matter of usability principles.  As far as I am concerned you have gone
beyond the ordinary user when you start using Workspaces and you are in
power user territority.  Power users need usability work too but their
requirements tend more towards efficiency and flexibility than quick,
easy, and memorable, which more oridinary users need.

I feel workspaces compensate for, distract from and otherwise disguise
bigger problems.  If you have so many windows open that you feel
workspaces are necessary then I must start asking questions like are more
batch processing and automation tools needed?.  I would be asking if
better window management is needed for certain applications.  I would be
wondering if better application integration and interoperability would
save you from needing so many different tools left open.  I would ask if
startup time could be improved (and if applications could better remember
hw they were arranged before you closed them) so you wouldn't feel
compelled to leave applications open all the time.

If we had personas I'd exclude Workspaces from anything resembling an
ordinary user persona.  By all means find ways to improve workspaces but
I'd be a lot happier about any discussions once we are clear Workspaces we
have go beyond the realm of the average user and are a means to an end not
an end in themselves.  I hope this doesn't sound like a rant because it is
not intended as one but I firmly believe looking at Workspaces in
isolation without thinking of the bigger issues is asking for trouble and
will only result in rehashing the same old arguements we have gone
through many times before.

Having said all that there were plans to allow different Wallpapers for
each Workspace, so it isn't a huge logical leap to allow users to treat
each workspace as a seperate desktop and have different documents (and
launchers/shortcuts but only if the user chooses to create them)  on each
Workspace.
That leaves the question of filing a request in Bugzilla and seeing if it
is practical to implement and most importantly if Havoc Pennington is
willing to allow it.

Sincerely

Alan Horkan

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