[Panel-devel] The ALI: do we really need or want it?

[Björn Balazs]

Hi,

Am Freitag, 06. Januar 2006 23:13 schrieb Janne Ojaniemi:
> > Every user has his
> > own approach on using a computer. These different menu-areas should only
> > give a framework to the users.
>
> Yes. But the system should offer a sensible default. 

It has to. Users have to start with something. They then have to explore the 
system - and then they can adjust what they see to their own needs. I speak 
for less focus on walk-up-and-use-usability and for more focus on 
easy-to-use-for-regular-users. Since nowadays almost everyone starting with 
KDE will have someone sitting next to him - oder be in explorable mood :)

> > This framework has to be filled according to
> > the very personal needs of the user. If I do not posses a digital camera,
> > I do not need prominent access to it - if I do professional photography
> > on the other hand even the second klick could be one klick too much for
> > starting the appropriate application.
>
> True. But even non-photographers come in to possession of large number of
> pictures. Of course the menu could be dynamic: if the user has no music on
> his computer, the "Music"-entry in the menu would not be shown (for
> example).

But the key-point is: The user has to set the dynamics himself. The system 
should just give him advices. I think the recently-used-applications (and the 
most-often-used as well) are perfect examples of computer-aid that is 
misdesigned. The problem is that the user does not know which application 
will be available. And visual search takes a long time. Knowing where to find 
something is much faster, becaus it only needs cognitiv recall. A (visual-) 
search on the other hand means that you have to compare in your mind - which 
is much harder, than the simple recall - and is also much more error-prone. 
Therefore: aid the user, but do not decide for him. Help him to decide which 
content should be placed on a prominent place but do not just do it. Let him 
say "yes!".

> I do not advocate removal of features or configurability :). I advocate
> trimming the number of entries in the GUI. There is a difference between
> those two approaches. Take Konqueror for example (a separate app, but it
> serves as a good example): I have FIVE different places to change settings:
> Configure shortcuts, Configure Toolbars, Configure Extensions, Configure
> Konqueror, Configure Spell Checking. The main one of those is "Configure
> Konqueror". And if I look in to there, I see EIGHTEEN different categories,
> several with several tabs. Those numbers could be trimmed, and they could
> be trimmed in a way that we don't sacrifice configurability.

I totally agree. Grouping and flexibility is the answer to those kind of 
problems. Presenting 18 kategories is definitly not the answer.

Cheers,
Björn