From kde-core-devel Tue Dec 04 22:51:19 2001 From: Marc Mutz Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2001 22:51:19 +0000 To: kde-core-devel Subject: Re: Too technical terms in PO's X-MARC-Message: https://marc.info/?l=kde-core-devel&m=100750627803686 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Tuesday 04 December 2001 22:16, Claudiu Costin wrote:=20 =20 > > That's helpful how? It doesn't provide more accurate information=20 > > for the author (after all, I supposed the author knows the meaning=20 > > of current messages) and it certainly won't make things less=20 > > cryptic for users.=20 =20 ACK.=20 =20 > If numbers are so hated, how can you explain for average user=20 > difference between image & pixmap. How about things more complicated.=20 > Joe user send this number to author if it feel to be cooperative. But=20 > Joe will not bother to send long long error message happned in=20 > KSuperApp::mangabanga() virtual method... :)=20 =20 When we're talking about error messages:=20 - - The best way to go is to provide a non-technical error messsage that=20 makes clear to the user that it's _not his fault_, but the =20 programmer's.=20 - - The dialog box then provides a "details" button that shows technical = =20 information and a "save" button to save the error details to disk.=20 =20 This way, if the user get's this error message he=20 1. knows that it's not him who did something stupid=20 2. It's a problem with the program that he may report to the authors.=20 =20 =20 If we're talking about options in a configuredialog, there are some=20 methods to work with this:=20 a. Put these technical options on a tab/page "advanced" or "technical"=20 with other technical options.=20 b. Add extensive What's this help, possibly with a label that points the=20 user to the fact that what'sThis help _is_ available (cf. Message-ID=20 setting in KMail->Configure->Composer->Headers), becuase normally it=20 isn't.=20 c. Make it clear to the user that this program will function=20 independently of what he does or does not choose in that tab (and make=20 sure that that is really the case!)=20 =20 In the special case with kcmbackground, one could label the checkbox=20 "use speed optimization for background painting" and explain in the=20 What'sThis help _first_, that this can gnerally be left switched on as=20 long as one doesn't see display errors and if one sees them, one should=20 try if disabling this option fixes it. Only _then_ tell the interested=20 user how that optimization is accomplished internally, but so that Joe=20 User knows that he doesn't need to understand that last part.=20 =20 Marc=20 =20 - -- =20 History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times of=20 urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to endure.=20 -- Justice Thurgood Marshall, 1989=20 =20 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.0.6 (GNU/Linux) Comment: For info see http://www.gnupg.org iD8DBQE8DXAg3oWD+L2/6DgRApCRAKDz0Wr3r4qOIFtKhftHUoUxioZshACgyCyF /e/CrVdPZ6QOHmod9xbkCIk=3D =3DpHx2 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----