[Patch] #29984 Change file permission using octal numbers

[Scott Wheeler]

On Friday 16 May 2003 12:43, Dominik Seichter wrote:
> That is a very good point. Most user will never change the permissions, so
> they will never use the permissions dialog and never get confused by it!
> Those few people that will use the dialog, will either
> - have already understood how unix permission do work and will find the
>   addition useful, because they can change the permission faster by just
>   entering the number.
>
> - or, if they do not have undestand how permissions work in Unix, they will
>   perhaps be interested in learning it, because they have a need for it.
>   In this case the new line edit will greatly help them learning.
>   Otherwise they still can ignore the new widget and do the permissions
> change like they did in the past.

Well, but GUIs don't work that way.  "The users can just ignore all of the 
(extra) confusing stuff on the screen" hasn't ever worked as a means of GUI 
design.

> > *) Most of those that do don't know octal permission notation
>
> I do not see a problem if most of the users who will never change file
> permissions do not know octal permissions. This users don't know the
> difference of user/group/other permissions either and won't care at all
> about changing any permissions.
>
> > *) Most of them don't care to learn octal notation
>
> They don't need to, because they do not change permissions at all, like you
> stated above.

Basically I read this as "it's already so confusing that most people won't use 
it, so it really doesn't hurt to make it even more confusing".

> > *) The current dialog is already confusing
>
> It is confusing, but I do not think it gets more confusing because of the
> line edit.

Again, adding widgets -- especially ones that most users won't understand 
*will* make it more confusing.  I think the question is rather "Is the extra 
confusion worth the added benefit?"

Anyway -- I won't push this further -- this is just my opinion and I'll let 
the majority decide...

Cheers,

-Scott

-- 
It may be true that you can't fool all the people all the time, but you can 
fool enough of them to rule a large country. 
--Will Durant