From kde-core-devel  Thu Nov 22 16:47:53 2007
From: "Aaron J. Seigo" <aseigo () kde ! org>
Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:47:53 +0000
To: kde-core-devel
Subject: Re: kwin default window button order.
Message-Id: <200711220947.53439.aseigo () kde ! org>
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On Thursday 22 November 2007, Michael Pyne wrote:
> On Thursday 22 November 2007, David Jarvie wrote:
> > In fact I'm using Windows just now, and it definitely has the menu butt=
on
> > at the far left.
>
> Correct-amundo.  They also overload it such that you can close the window
> by double-clicking it.

which, btw, is one of the worst ideas ever and was a workaround introduced =
for=20
a poor window manager in windows 3.1 and prior.

interestingly, some power users who found this feature decided they liked i=
t,=20
even though it's slower and sucks for people who don't know that feature=20
exists and go around double clicking things randomly (another usability=20
truism: make things wierd enough and people start acting randomly; "double=
=20
click this, but single click that" leads to many people double clicking in=
=20
random situations as they can't figure out the scheme).

so when i disabled menu-double-click-closes in the default kde window decos=
=20
some time ago (kept it in the windows emulating ones, though) two things=20
happened:

a) complaints on the kde devel lists by developers saying we had to keep it=
=20
for compatibility, people were used to it, it was removing features for no=
=20
reason (which is untrue, see above), etc. sound familiar? ;)

b) people added configuration options to some decos to allow this back=20
conditionally to some decos (nothing like increasing the config load to=20
re-introduce a highly dubious feature)

today? few care, few notice, and those who really want it use a style that=
=20
supports it.

i've come to accept that friction against change will likely always be high=
 in=20
this project. it does mean, however, that it takes a really strong-headed=20
person to get meaningful usability changes through. so if you wonder why=20
usability doesn't improve faster/better or why i'm so annoying in these=20
threads, accept that as the result of a project where resistance is high an=
d=20
mostly a reflexive reaction rather than reasoned thought based on=20
understanding of the principle involved.

i don't think this is unique to kde, though. it's why gnome went all=20
dictatorial-from-the-top with its usability push, why Apple only really=20
innovates in usability when they have a dictator at the top, etc. i don't=20
want dictatorships in kde. however, i do wish these things took less energy=
=2E=20
=3D) i keep seeking a Third Way for this process. haven't found it yet.

=2D-=20
Aaron J. Seigo
humru othro a kohnu se
GPG Fingerprint: 8B8B 2209 0C6F 7C47 B1EA  EE75 D6B7 2EB1 A7F1 DB43

KDE core developer sponsored by Trolltech

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