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List: kde-core-devel
Subject: Why user-levels don't work (Was: Beginner/Default/Advanced GUI)
From: Waldo Bastian <bastian () kde ! org>
Date: 2001-05-09 20:30:50
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The idea of user-levels is very populair and scores points in reviews but I
don't think it actually works.
*) It requires the user to rate him/herself. But on which grounds? Note also
that women tend to have a lower self-esteem as men which is likely to lead to
interesting effects but not to a good UI.
*) It assumes that "user-level" maps to a certain need for features. I doubt
that that is true, maybe you need to turn some obscure feature on (passive
mode FTP anyone?) because of the network situation you are in. So what does
your network situation have to do with your skill level?
*) It assumes that "user-level" is equal for all tasks. Well, it isn't. I may
be first class sysadmin (I am not) but that doesn't mean I care for the
expire date of my cookies. Yet, I might want to fine tune my network settings
for optimal performance.
*) It makes it more difficult to learn. By exposing a user to available
options, a user will be made aware of these options and will be better able
to use these options when he or she needs them. By hiding options the user
will not find out about options and will not be able to tell whether a
certain functionality exists. A recent test by C't (computer experts) gave
KMail bad marks for the lack of import filters, kmail has a very nice tool
for importing other mailboxes, but appearantly C't didn't notice it. It makes
no sense to have functions if the user doesn't know about them. So with a
Beginner/Default/Advanced UI either a user chooses beginner and misses
functionality that may be important for him/her, or the user chooses advanced
in order not to miss anything, and is in the situation that we tried to
prevent with this scheme in the first place. Conclusion: "user-levels" don't
work.
What does work?
A simple GUI that can be expanded by the user when the need arises. "Options
>>" and "Details >>" buttons can be used for that. "Advanced" tabs in control
modules can be used for that. Toolbars that can be easily edited (e.g. with
drag and drop) so that the user can add the functions that he/she uses most
often.
Minicli and the cookie dialog are successfull examples of dialogs that can be
adjusted to the needs of the user. Those needs have nothing to do with some
fictious "user-level".
Cheers,
Waldo
--
bastian@kde.org | SuSE Labs KDE Developer | bastian@suse.com
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