KDE Usability Improvements

[James Richard Tyrer]

We seem to be headed towards what I regard as a serious issue.  Those 
that write the code seem to feel that only they should make all design 
decisions.  While this is probably OK with a small project, the KDE 
project has become much too large for this to work.  Therefore, this 
issue must be addressed.  Those coders that feel that they can not allow 
someone else to tell them what to do are going to have to reassess their 
attitude.  If the coders are not able to change their attitude, the 
project will eventually fail.

I digress to note that I used the term 'coders' rather than developers 
because although 'coders' *are" developers, all developers are not 
'coders'.  We must realize that designers, testers, and bug reporters 
are also developers.  In a large project, division of labor is 
necessary.  While I am able to do all four jobs, there are people that 
are not.  There contributions should be accepted even though they do not 
write code.  In my case, I am new to GUI programing, but I am not new to 
programing, so there are many developers that are much more able to 
write code than I am.  However, I believe that I am good at design work, 
and this has been summarily dismissed by the coders.

I have been criticized (even flamed) for asserting that designing is 
work -- work that is at least as important coding.  This makes no sense 
unless those that do it are just protecting their turf.  If we are all 
peers in this project then people should not need to protect their turf.

The current situation is that some formal design work has been done:

http://developer.kde.org/documentation/standards/kde/style/basics/index.html

Unfortunately, it appears that (some) coders do not follow these 
standards.  The people working on the HIG are developing new and more 
extensive standards.  These efforts are important, probably more 
important than coding.  But, if those developers that write code do not 
follow standards, what good does this most important part of the design 
process do -- what does it accomplish?

Since many developers say that if you don't write code, your work 
doesn't matter, I have written some code.  I have also made some icons 
(and borrowed some from Marco Martin).  I note that in writing this 
small amount of code that I did what I have said other coders need to 
do: I have used someone else's design work.  I also added a small amount 
of my design work as needed.

Perhaps as a professional engineer, it is easier for me to work 
according to someone else's design.  Perhaps it is because I see the two 
separate jobs (even if I am doing both of them myself :-)).  IAC, I have 
made changes to: KGhostView, KPDF, Kview, & KuickShow on my system and I 
have posted a tarball:

http://home.earthlink.net/~tyrerj/kde/Improvements00.tar.bz2

with one of my icons, some of Marco Martin's icons, and 4 patches. 
These are the changes which I have made to 3.4 BRANCH on my system.  Now 
that I have done the coding, I am hoping that my ideas will be more 
seriously considered.  I feel that all of these changes should be added 
for 3.4.1.  I note that this is a work in progress and I am not 
asserting that all work has been done here, only that I have made an 
improvement.

I can write code, it is just that I feel that I am currently better at 
design work, and testing.  I think that some developers understand this. 
  But, this is not about me, it is about the fact that in a large 
project, design work becomes the most important part of the work and we 
all need to understand that.

I also note that I feel that the example work that I have done is 
something that is currently very important to the KDE project.  There 
are a lot of similar small issues that need to be fixed.  This will, 
despite what some coders think, greatly improve the project.  Doing a 
lot of small improvements has a cumulative effect.

My goal is to see KDE become a professional quality project.  To 
accomplish this we need the work of designers, testers, and bug 
reporters as well as coders.

So, that is my manifesto.  I ask that you given it careful consideration.

-- 
JRT