KDE SC 4: The good, the bad, and the broken

[Billie Walsh]

On 05/29/2010 08:50 AM, James Tyrer wrote:
> On 05/25/10 06:42, Anne Wilson wrote:
>    
>> On Tuesday 25 May 2010 09:05:14 Dennis wrote:
>>      
>>> Hi Anne,
>>>
>>>        
>>>> You have been able to have links to applications on the desktop for ages
>>>> - I think 4.2 brought that.  You should set your desktop type
>>>> (right-click on the desktop, Desktop Activity Settings - or similar,
>>>> since not all distros use the same wording) to Folderview, after which
>>>> most behaviour is the same as KDE 3.5.
>>>>          
>>> Thanks for this info - I will try this as soon as I can (right now, no KDE
>>> 4 system under my hands). Although this shows clearly one question that
>>> will certainly come up: "If there is a possibility to switch back to old
>>> behaviour, why is then introduced the new one?". Yep, this is a question
>>> with many aspects, but think of it from the following point of view: I
>>> want to explain people that switching to KDE SC 4 is a good thing, so I
>>> should be able to explain the benefits of the new technology.
>>>
>>>        
>> Quite simply, the new one takes advantage of many plasma features, and was
>> intended to be the only desktop.  Developers provided the alternative of using
>> a folderview as the whole desktop when it became apparent that many users
>> could not or would not use a folderview to the desktop directory as part of
>> their desktop.  The result is that when you choose this alternative view, the
>> folderview simply covers your whole desktop.
>>
>> It seems that few people realise that Desktop was simply a directory under ~/,
>> despite the fact that they must have seen it as such within Konqueror file
>> manager.   KDE 3 displayed that directory's contents by default.  KDE 4 began
>> to treat it correctly, as a directory.  The folderview that was present on the
>> desktop was by default set to display Desktop's contents, and it was
>> scaleable.  The developers thought that since nothing had really changed other
>> than the first-glance impression everyone's needs were met.  They had not
>> counted on the total intransigence of some users.
>>      
> I would suggest that you not call this intransigence.  In learning
> theory, there is: 'proactive inhibition" which means that something that
> you already know makes it more difficult to learn something new --
> something which is related to what you already know.
>
> Example: I have always used a HP calculator with RPN (and before that an
> adding machine and a Merchant calculator).  This makes it more difficult
> for me to learn to use an algebra notation calculator than if I had
> never use any calculator.
>
> So, software developers need to realize that when a change is made in an
> existing application that it will require that users relearn how to do
> something.  This relearning is more difficult than starting from scratch.
>
> Therefore, making changes in an existing interface is something that
> should only be done when absolutely necessary.  It is preferable that
> when this is necessary to add new features that the old way be the default.
>
> I am not saying that FolderView is bad idea.  Actually, I like it and
> currently have 2 on my DeskTop.  What I am saying is that it takes time
> to relearn it and this should be a consideration.
>
> With commercial users, this relearning costs them money!  This is important.
>
> I also note that the Desktop directory really should not be in the $HOME
> directory.  It should probably be $HOME/.local/Desktop and accessed only
> using the VFS.  Actually, we are only talking the default since there is
> a path for it in KDE and the user can choose anywhere that he wants.
> However, if using the VFS, there should be a way to access it in the
> Dolphin Part using the menu and/or a toolbar icon.  Is this yet another
> feature which was removed?
>
>    

I'll second the above.

My better half likes to clutter up her desktop with all kinds of 
"stuff". Me, I don't want to see anything but the wallpaper. I don't 
want to see directories and files all over the place. If I want to see 
all that junk I'll open Dolphin. Otherwise, I want it out of site.

When I install and see that "Folder View" box and the other one that's 
default the very first thing I do is tell them to go away and never come 
back.

-- 
Vy iz der not zo many horzez az der iz horses azziz

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