On Thu, 2005-08-25 at 21:21 -0400, Jason Hoover wrote:
> I don't see the trash applet used in Fedora by default, so I'm guessing
> this is an Ubuntu bug/Icon theme bug. Having the icon "land" where it
> looks would probably be annoying to someone expecting it to 'land' where
> his mouse is (especially on a tablet screen). Visual feedback may be a
> good idea, but I'm not sure what exactly the trash should do to indicate
> it's gonna get dropped there.
I'm about to file a bug that Nautilus should, if possible, drag files
with a semi-transparent effect. This way you'd be able to see the
destination, and the destination can actually do something useful (like
the folder "opening" icon, which you generally can't see as there is the
drag icon over it.
The fact that it looks like a blue box is just down to the icon. It
looks like the trash for everyone who knows what the trash icon is...
> > 6. Wants to change the Font. Goes to System->User Settings->Fonts,
> > sees the 4 boxes (does not recognize them as buttons) with "Sans" in
> > them, clicks the "Details" button, "Go to Font folder", browses the
> > fonts, finds one he likes, tries to drag it to the "boxes" without
> > success.
It would use useful if those buttons accepted drags from font files, but
ideally those need to be more obvious as buttons. Do you have any idea
why, as they look identical to buttons as far as I am concerned.
> > 8. Categorizes his picture collection in folders. "Home", "Vacation
> > Italy 2003", etc. Rightclicks on one, finds Properties and wants to
> > set an image from each folder as its customized icon. He clicks the
> > button in Properties and is presented with "/usr/share/pixmaps" every
> > time. He clicks "Browse..." and is presented with "/usr/share" every
> > time. They should both remember the previous location, and there
> > should be a button that takes you to /usr/share/pixmaps (Default
> > Location, whatever) instead. Anyway, clicks Browse and is presented
> > with the default Open dialog where the 10% of the left side of it
> > (rendering the Places sidebar useless) positioned outside the screen.
> > He moves it in a bit, clicks his "Images" bookmark and is presented
> > with a list of images with no preview. Since he is choosing an image
> > to use for icon, this is very unfortunate, and he begins a process of
> > elimination; "Was it that one? No." Each elimination forces him to
> > redo all the steps mentioned above since he must close everything down
> > to the Properties dialog to be able to see which image it is he
> > selected.
>
> That image selector, and subsequent file chooser are terrible. On top of
> being confusing, it doesn't remember the path like you said. Someone
> else here might be aware of a related bug, since it's so annoying.
There is a plan to replace it with a stock icon chooser, which would be
far easier to use.
> > 9. Prior to letting him use the computer, I installed smeg to
> > customize the Applications menu, removing alot of silly applications
> > that he will never use. Later, he finds smeg himself, and tries to
> > remove the following items:
> > * Places-> Desktop, Computer, Network, Connect to Server
> > * The entire System menu.
> > But finds that it's not possible, for unknown reasons.
>
> Unless I'm mistaken, Smeg (ugh, what an awful name) is an Ubuntu thing.
> A thread relating to it's development is here:
Smeg isn't an Ubuntu thing, although Ubuntu are probably the first
distro to ship it. The Places and System menu are out of the scope of
Smeg (which edits the Applications menu) which is why that doesn't work.
Maybe Smeg needs to be more explicit that it's an Applications menu
editor.
> > 10. Wants to get a slideshow of his images as screensaver. Goes to
> > System->User Settings->Screensaver, sees a HUGE list of screensavers
> > and tries to locate "Slideshow" in it. It doesn't exist. The search is
> > made even harder by the fact that the list doesn't support finding by
> > typing. A box pops up when you write, but nothing happens.
> > He eventually finds that he can settle for the "Spotlight" SS. He
> > picks it and clicks "Settings...", but is unable to find anywhere how
> > to specify which image(s) to use. He asks me and I point him to the
> > "Advanced" tab. He goes there, finds the "Choose Random Image"
> > checkbox and clicks Browse, only to be presented with some type of
> > Open dialog he has never seen before (and also without preview).
>
> One of the good and bad things about xscreensaver is that it can use any
> image source for almost any of the screen savers. It may be worth filing
> an enhancement bug requesting some kind of category/type sorting. I
> don't know exactly what to suggest, but it'd make peeling through that
> painfully long list more pleasant. Maybe 3d/2d/images/text or something
> like that.
gnome-screensaver is doing this.
> > 11. Continuing his quest of scanning all his family albums into the
> > computer, he opens the GIMP. After recovering from the sudden boom of
> > windows on his desktop (don't forget the Todays Tip dialog), he
> > identifies the one with a "File" menu and finds import. Not having the
> > slightest idea what "XSane" is, he deems GIMP unable to scan his
> > images and calls me again. I talk him through the same process and
> > tell him that XSane is, in fact, a scanning program. He says "But
> > there is only one option there; 'Device dialog...'". I tell him to
> > click it, and the phone goes silent for a long time. He then tells me
> > "the screen is full of windows, I have no idea what's going on."
> > Seriously, have you tried having GIMP and XSane open at the same time?
> > There should be laws against it. Even if he had been able to identify
> > which was which, and find out what button he should click on (he
> > didn't see any buttons, only widget soup), the overwhelming number of
> > widgets on the screen was just insane.
>
> This is a gimp bug. And yes, I would imagine that it's called XSane
> because it's enough to drive someone to not-sanity. It's an ugly hack of
> a front-end, and could probably use a cleanup. But I don't know how
> responsible gnome is for it.
It's nothing to do with GNOME, it just uses the GTK+ widget set. Yes,
it needs *lots* of work for "normal" people. I've had a plan to work on
this for some time (the early mockups were done with the late Mark
Finley), but just don't have the time.
> > 12. I watch him trying to change the background image on his desktop.
> > When he wants to close it, he suddenly stops and asks me "This X in
> > the corner and this button with X on it that says 'Close', they do the
> > same thing, right?"
> > Then why are there 2 ?
>
> This is kind of backwards. It might be more appropriate to have "OK" and
> "Cancel" here, why it commits changes permanently and right away is
> something of a bug. I can't find anything in bugzilla for it, so an
> enhancement bug may be a good idea.
Erm, no. Instant Apply is good. I picked an image, so it's likely that
I'd like to see what it's like as a wallpaper. Going back to the
previous wallpaper isn't difficult, so instant apply is a good choice.
The Close button vs window manager close button is a long-standing
debate, which effects Windows too.
Ross
--
Ross Burton mail: ross burtonini com
jabber: ross burtonini com
www: http://www.burtonini.com./
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