Where to logout (Was Re: Lock/logout interactions)

[Celeste Lyn Paul]

On Monday 10 March 2008 10:19:28 Will Stephenson wrote:
> On Monday 10 March 2008, Celeste Lyn Paul said:
> > This is just a crazy thought, but why are the Logout/Quit options in
> > Kickoff anyway?  Could we put the options somewhere else (such as
> > integrated in to the Desktop or taskbar by default)?

> * They are neither multiple-use-per-session actions (like Konsole, Dolphin
> or Konqueror app launchers or the taskbar) nor status elements like the
> clock or system tray - this makes them second level actions.
>
> * second level actions should be discoverable though, so they are
> accessible via a first level thingy (the kickoff launcher) - this excludes
> to me just having them on the desktop menu, but could include having them
> on the dashboard (if that becomes as accessible as the launcher as it
> matures).

Personally I would call them utility functions, and not really attribute them 
as part of the environment.  Kickoff provides a multi-dimensional collection 
of shortcuts to ways to get work done within the KDE4 environment.  Logoff 
options live somewhere between getting-work-done and not-getting-work-done

Currently we are supporting this kind of conceptual model:

  v Kickoff        v KDM/Powerbutton
( KDE ( ) Not KDE )
  ^ Logoff options

When I think we should be supporting this kind of conceptual model:

  v Kickoff        v KDM/Powerbutton
( KDE ( ) Not KDE )
         ^ Logoff options should live here

> * Precedent - it's where the user expects to find Leave options

KDE4/Plasma/Kickoff are all about breaking precedent. Just because the user 
*expects* them to be in a Startmenu-like gadget, does not mean that they 
wouldn't be comfortable with it somewhere else.  Besides, for all we 
know "precedents" could have had no clue where else to put it and threw it in 
the menu.

This reminds me of the joke about Windows Startmenu: You have to Start in 
order to Quit.  Tee hee.


-- 
Celeste Lyn Paul
KDE Usability Project & HCI Working Group
usability.kde.org