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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: ktalk-config
From:       Boris Povazay <boris () jouh ! at>
Date:       1999-11-02 11:24:43
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David Faure wrote:

> > On the other hand such questions could be handled somehow.
> > Possibly the
> > best solution here would search the system for talk-clients and list
> > them. But I have no idea how this could be easily achieved...
> > (or is the
> > coming 2.0 release capable to make such "miracles" happen?
> > P-) -There is
> > no base that describes the programs functionalities, by now...)
> 
> Why such a complex solution ?
> If we have ktalk part of kdenetwork, then we change the default talk client
> to ktalk, and the dummy user doesn't have to care about this anymore
> ... until he becomes a knowledgeable user that installs blatalk or whatever
> and then can change ktalkd's configuration.

Well, you`re right by stating that this is a complex solution. And
you`re absolutely right to say it would be easier to integrate ktalk
directly.
[DE-philosophy on P-)]
But on the other hand I wonder if the architecture of KDE2.x will allow
to lookup programs with their MIME-types. Then such things could be done
by the system, not by the "dummy user".
BTW I assume that not every user will, or even wants to become a
knowledgeable one. So the enviroment will have to take care of that. And
I believe that this kind of "feedback" or "information" is what makes a
DE attractive.
Users like to see what's possible without reading a book, or searching
huge piles of directories and man pages - and you cannot blame them for
that, do you?

So I believe that in the long run the system will have to display all
necessary information and not more (everything as options, with
explanations and active hints aside). Forcing the user to lookup whether
there are alternative clients (like in the ktalk example), where there
are found and what commandline options have to be taken, is totally
contraproductive. (But easy to implement, as you correctly stated)
At this point we also do not have to forget that the most active user is
the developer - and s/he will benifit most.
So UNIX could really become ready for the dektop!
[DE-philosophy off]

Back to the subject: I agree - ktalk should get in! P-)

ciao BoP
-- 
Boris Povazay

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