Re: Control Center Behavior

[mike <mike redtux demon co uk>]

On Thu, 2002-07-18 at 17:54, Havoc Pennington wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> The problem with the shell is that it just doesn't make sense to
> special-case the launching of particular kinds of thing.
> 
> There are standard ways to launch apps:
>  - from Nautilus
>  - from the menus
> 
> if those are bad, they should be fixed. We shouldn't really create the
> special magic launcher for the most-used items. Especially if we're
> creating our custom optimization hack for "most-used by traditional
> linux users" (preferences) instead of "most-used by most desktop
> users" (applications).
> 
> The case where I'd be wrong is if preferences are special or different
> in some way. i.e. I guess you could argue that the "shell" is an
> application, and the control panels are dialogs of that
> application. So then we'd just drop the menu items for preferences.
> 
> But in short we need to identify:
> 
>  - is the problem with using nautilus/menus really a problem 
>    that applies to all apps; if so, it's broken to break 
>    out or special-case preferences
>  - is the problem something specific to preferences, if 
>    so the shell could make sense
> 
> It needs to be identified exactly what is wrong with nautilus/menus
> and what makes preferences a special case. Otherwise you're just
> flailing around on gut feeling, and probably creating instability.
> 
> (Let me also echo Seth's sentiment that we should in no way listen to
> polls on gnomedesktop.org. ;-) The "real desktop market" by which I
> mean the easiest 5% of Microsoft market share for us to claim, in
> order to get started as an interesting desktop OS, is pretty much by
> definition going to be _totally_ silent on _all_ of our forums. If you
> know enough about computers to distinguish GNOME from the rest of the
> OS, and post to a forum, you are not a typical desktop end user, _at
> all_. End of story. Your needs/wants are going to be totally
> different.)

I am disturbed by this comment

I think users are in ascending order
developers
2.power users/testers 
3.older gnome users 
4.new gnome users 
5.kde converts 
6.windows converts

The forum on gnome desktop will get feedback from both ordinary gnome
users AND 5 and 6

So I see it as an important source of feedback, as to how gnome is
working in practice. Not the only source, but certainly not to be
dismissed out of hand


> 
> We all need to realize that if we want to succeed on the desktop, we
> are going to be coding for a silent majority; and the only way to get
> their needs right is to follow usability heuristic rules, and go out
> and actively user test and solicit feedback.
> 
> Of course we should use hidden prefs and the occasional compromise and
> so on to keep developers comfortable in the environment. But IMO we
> are after users who are entirely silent in all online hacking forums.
> 
> Havoc
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