From kde-devel  Tue Dec 03 18:31:34 2002
From: Manuel Amador <amadorm () usm ! edu ! ec>
Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 18:31:34 +0000
To: kde-devel
Subject: Re: Abstracting the Linux Desktop from the File-system
X-MARC-Message: https://marc.info/?l=kde-devel&m=103894047829026

> peroidically, I blow away my .kde dir to see the changes that have come d=
own=20
> the pipe. If this change got adopted, I'd be the one UNDOING it in the=20
> packaging phase of KDE for Sentinel Linux, meaning more work for me (yeah=
 :|=20
> ).
Read the summary.  A sensible and easy fix for this problem is suggested
there.
>=20
> Remember people companies, like Microsoft and Apple, have spent a great d=
eal=20
> of money on their usability studies, why not pay attention to them instea=
d of=20
> breaking them.
Because they are wrong.  The desktop metaphor is dead:
http://escience.anu.edu.au/lecture/ivr/exercises/a1/02IVRA1_U3609021/Metaph=
ors/Mixed%20Metaphores.htm
"User gut feelings must be respected".  That isn't "expert" users which
have a trained gut feeling, but "newbie" users which have a pure gut
feeling.


From:
http://escience.anu.edu.au/lecture/ivr/exercises/a1/02IVRA1_U3609021/Metaph=
ors/Schemas.htm

Presumably part of the attraction of interface metaphors is that the
user will =E2=80=9Cinstantly=E2=80=9D know how to use the system, because t=
hey can apply
schemas from the source domain to the target domain.

This is not the case with the "desktop".  Since it is hard to understand
it as a separate entity (from a newbie perspective) then, why not make
the desktop show the home directory?

From:
http://www.ccsr.cse.dmu.ac.uk/conferences/ccsrconf/ethicomp2001/abstracts/m=
oniot.html

the desktop metaphor also introduces a number of thorny problems,
raising ethical issues concerning the manner in which this development
has taken and is taking place. The drawbacks of the desktop metaphor
were recognized early on: it tends to limit the functionality of the
software to that of the physical analog; the implementation can never be
completely faithful to the metaphor and so will sometimes behave in
unexpected ways; and whereas the interface is easy to learn, it is not
optimal for many tasks and impedes maximum utilization of the
capabilities of the computer system [Gentner and Nielsen 1996, Halasz
and Moran 1981, Johnson et al 1985].=20

See?

This "Desktop" metaphor we're adhering to, is limiting us.  [Gentner and
Nielsen 1996, Halasz and Moran 1981, Johnson et al 1985].=20

 
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