KDE Usability Improvements

[James Richard Tyrer]

obennett wrote:
> 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 guess that if it is something you agree with, it is a blog, if it is
something you disagree with then it is just bitching on the Internet.

>> 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.

Yes, you can regard me as a pain in the arse.  But, actually you are not
talking about me, that is the 'shoot the messenger syndrome'.  When you
criticize what I say, you are actually saying that what I said is a
pain.  Attention to quality issues *is* a pain in the arse, but if you
want to do a good job, you have to live with this pain.

> Seriously, you take the closing of your bug reports too personally

Well I didn't till it was accompanied by personal and insulting remarks
that should have never been posted to BugZilla.

> and I'm  personally getting tired of hearing about it.

I'm not talking about closing bug reports; why are you?

> At this point I don't even  care if your concerns are even valid 
> anymore.

I would guess that this is because you NEVER did.  In that case, you are
clearly an example of what I am talking about: you represent my remarks.

>> 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 a program's failure to follow the KDE UI Guidelines is a bug, then
they are bug fixes.  If missing icons are a bug fix, then there is a bug
fix.  If a toolbar missing often used functions is a bug, then there is 
a bug fix.

If the fix for this bug:

http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=104114

is a bug fix, then it is a bug fix -- tautologically speaking. :-)

If duplicated icons is a bug, then there is a fix for that as well.

What I did was write fixes for the bugs rather than just reporting them. 
  I am at a loss to see why you find anything wrong with that.

> 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.

If writing a bug report is the way to go, I will do that.  But, perhaps
there is a better way to submit contributions.  Do you have suggestions?
  IAC, you are welcome to look at this and give your review although I
intended to post a link to it to: 'kde-usability' for that.

>> 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.

You are presumptuously dismissing what I said.  This meets the
dictionary definition of arrogance.  Also, if you knew me, you comment
would be considered very rude.  Any problems that I have writing code
has nothing to do with laziness.  I have been writing code since you had
to punch holes in those cards as the only available input device. :-)

> I feel that I might as well find other less "grey matter" requiring 
> ways of contributing to the KDE.

Please try to understand what I said.  Your arrogant presumption is
WRONG!!  Good design work requires just as much, if not more, "gray
matter" than coding does.  That is why it is called "Software
Engineering".  Writing a good program requires a lot more than knowing
how to write code (even if you know how to do it "properly"). Writing a
good bug report is not a simple task either.

> Has this revelation done anything to actually help the project?

Like all such ideas, it will only help if it is listened to.

> 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.

Nobody asked you to read it.  And most certainly, nobody required that
you write a mingent response to it.

>> 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.

Sorry, I won't be doing that.  Unless you consider my blog to be a rant
or hissy fit.  I will be trying to make what you consider actual
contributions -- which I believe I have done.  If these are not
accepted, I will move on.

-- 
JRT