Use of library names (Akonadi, Solid, Nepomuk, Phonon etc.) in user interfaces

[Albert Astals Cid]

A Dissabte 07 Juny 2008, Dotan Cohen va escriure:
> 2008/6/7 Tom Albers <tomalbers at kde.nl>:
> > Hi,
> >
> >> Names for some "behind the scenes" KDE libraries/daemons are creeping
> >> into user interfaces.
> >
> > Which is good. We spent a lot of time investing in promoting those words,
> > and the user should see them in the interface too, to actually identify
> > that we are not about words, but actually implemented stuff.
>
> Users don't care about words or names, they avoid things that confuse
> them. Avoid, as in "don't use and do not want to learn".

Depicting users as idiots that don't want to learn and can't understand 
options is not a good idea. That's what Gnome decided to do and resulted in 
incredibily dumbed down programs that noone i know likes.

>
> > Nepomuk is the big example. No-one understands what it is. Even when you
> > are actually tagging in dolphin, you have no clue, you are using nepomuk.
> > Which is bad. If you want it to be a bigger success, users should be
> > confronted with it.
>
> No one wants to understand what it is. Users want to tag in their file
> manager. They don't want to tag in Dolphin (they don't want to know
> that Dolphin is the name of the file manager). They certainly don't
> want to know what a Nepomuk is.

Again this is not about users but about KDE, we WANT people to know they are 
using KDE programs, so let's say "KMail" and not "Mailing application" 
and "Okular" and not "Document viewer"

>
> >> - Users who are not KDE-tech enthusiasts seeing these would be
> >> somewhat mystified.  To give an idea of what
> >> I mean, imagine how odd it would seem if Apple's next Safari release
> >> had an "Enable Squirrelfish" option in its
> >> settings to turn JavaScript on/off.
> >
> > I don't get this point at all. If you want to know, google for it.
>
> Are you kidding? Users don't google. Users avoid anything that they do
> not understand.

You seem to really hate users.

>
> >> - Distributors working to get KDE setups ready for schools,
> >> businesses, mobile devices etc. will all have to
> >> waste time patching software to take these names out and put something
> >> more descriptive and obvious in place.
> >
> > Well great. I guess they adapt more stuff to their customers. If they
> > think it should go upstream, they can find us and we can see if that
> > fits.
>
> We should not ignore the problem that has been already identified,
> deliberately waiting for users to complain.

No, KDE has a very wide audience, while each distro has a much smaller one, 
there's no ring to rule them all, sorry.

>
> >> - In System Settings there are modules called "Nepomuk" and "Solid".
> >> Again, I worry that many users are not going
> >> to have a clue what these are.  For quite a while during the 4.0 cycle
> >> the sound setup in System Settings was called "Phonon".
> >
> > It's all about branding. First we create a hype and then we are going to
> > deny those words to be used in the interface?
>
> KDE enthusiasts have heard the branding. Not end users.

That's why we have to communicate that branding to end users. Microsoft did a 
good work here and lots of users think "Internet Explorer" is the only way to 
get to the internet.

>
> >>  What I propose
> >> is to create some simple guidelines
> >
> > Obviously I will vote against it.
>
> Obviously you do not understand users.

Or maybe is it you? Tom has been participating a long time in KDE programs 
widely used by users, sorry, but your name does not feel familiar so in my 
head Tom's experience and opinion has much more value than yours.

>
> >> I am not sure what you could use for Akonadi as its scope is very
> >> broad.  "Akonadi Calendaring/Mail/Organisation/Backup/Tea Making" is
> >> probably
> >> too long for a menu item ;)
> >
> > Yeah, that's why it is called "Akonadi".
>
> How about something descriptive? I would post examples but I do not
> want to appear cynical.

Why did our ancestors invent the "tie" word when you can say "That item of 
clothing consisting of a strip of cloth tied around the neck"? Just because 
it's easier to say "tie".

Something descriptive for Akonadi would have like 100 words, not a good idea.

Albert

>
> Dotan Cohen