[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde
Subject:    RE: KDE-award?
From:       "Markus Holzem" <markus () holzem ! de>
Date:       1999-07-01 14:09:09
[Download RAW message or body]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: kde-request@lists.netcentral.net
> [mailto:kde-request@lists.netcentral.net]On Behalf Of Dave Leigh
> Sent: Thursday, July 01, 1999 2:22 PM
> To: KDE general mailing list
> Subject: Re: KDE-award?
>
>
> Mark Roberts wrote:
>
> > If you are going to have some form of compatibility award, why not make
> > it a sort of points or stars system ?
> >
> > A number sites which provide links to programs provide star ratings or
> > ratings from 0-100. If you really want some approval system just provide
> > two scores, one for KDE compatibility, a second for usefulness/usability
> > or whateever.
> >
> > That way you can snidely say that the programming style may be crap, but
> > the end result is an excellent program :-).
>
> I agree with this approach.  Here's a case in point, although
> it's not KDE:

Scoring is really difficult. You can divide usability problems in the
following categories:

                               Proportion of users experiencing the problem

                                    Few                      Many

Impact of problem    Small          Low severity             Medium severity
on the users who
experience it        Large          Medium severity          High severity

We could end up in these three categories (low, medium and high severity)
and allow a fixed number of low and medium severities for KDE compliance.
But an overall rating will be very difficult.

> I think the GIMP user interface simply sucks.  HOWEVER, the functionality
> provided by the GIMP far outweigh this shortcoming.   So I use it and
> recommend that others use it, although I don't think it would be
> fair of me
> to recommend it without mentioning that the UI is non standard.  That way,
> initial users are not shocked into putting it aside.

On the other hand I never started to use GIMP because of the crude
interface.
I might after the GIMP workshop in a German computer magazine, but without
a guiding hand it is simply difficult to get a first go.

But if you want, that people start to change from MS or Apple to KDE you
will need to support all types of users: beginners, advanced and experts.
Here is the major problem of Linux/UNIX/KDE/GNOME/etc.: most applications
are designed for experts, but you want the beginners - don't you? If the
only way to get a functionality is to press SHIFT-CONTROL-META and the
middle mouse button the user will be definitely lost.

He can remember after some time, that

  ALT and mouse drag:          positioning without grid
  SHIFT and mouse drag:        positioning horizontally or vertically
  CTRL and mouse drag:         positioning a copy of the item

BUT he should be able to achieve his goal with simpler functions
(switching off the grid, copying first, using guidelines).

Markus

-- 
Send posts to:  kde@lists.netcentral.net
 Send all commands to:  kde-request@lists.netcentral.net
  Put your command in the SUBJECT of the message:
   "subscribe", "unsubscribe", "set digest on", or "set digest off"
PLEASE READ THE ARCHIVED MESSAGES AT http://lists.kde.org/ BEFORE POSTING
**********************************************************************
This list is from your pals at NetCentral <http://www.netcentral.net/>

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]