KDE Usability Improvements

[obennett]

On Tue, 19 Apr 2005 17:08:47 -0700, James Richard Tyrer <tyrerj at acm.org>  
wrote:

> 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.
We seem to be heading towards another James Richard Tyrer bitch-a-thon, as  
humorous as I found the first few I've got to say, it's getting old now.
>
> 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.
I think you've been criticized/flamed for being a pain in the arse.  
Seriously, you take the closing of your bug reports too personally and I'm  
personally getting tired of hearing about it. At this point I don't even  
care if your concerns are even valid anymore.
>
> 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.
Well if these changes are not bugfixes then your feelings are wrong. If  
they are bugfixes then you should be adding these patches to bugreports  
not posting them on kde-quality (mayhaps you're looking for a code  
"quality" review), the "coders" can do that once they see it on bugzilla.
>
> 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 can write code, but quite frankly I am really too lazy to be bothered  
learning how to do it properly. I feel that I might as well find other  
less "grey matter" requiring ways of contributing to the KDE. Has this  
revelation done anything to actually help the project? None whatsoever,  
writing this has actually minimized the amount of time available to do  
whatever it is I would be doing to contribute. Thank you for furthering my  
unproductivity James.
>
> 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.
>
I ask that you continue posting rants and throwing hissy fits. They  
brighten m... aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeee!! Kernel Panic!


-- 
Jesus loves me. You should too.