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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: Mom test
From:       Greg Turpin <gregturp () home ! com>
Date:       2001-08-09 6:10:51
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On Wednesday 08 August 2001 11:03 pm, Arcana wrote:
> On August 8, 2001 07:08 am, Richard Stevens wrote:
> > I think it doesn't hurt if there are buttons inexperienced users don't
> > need. If we start removing those, we get where windows is now. The
> > default setup has to be tweaked and tuned for quite some while to become
> > handy and usable for the more experienced users. You first have to switch
> > off all the automatic and protective stuff. I really wouldn't like to see
> > kde become like that.
>
> My opinion?
>
> It's TOO LATE for KDE 2 to do this sort of stuff.  People have been using
> this desktop environment for at least half a year, and most likely for
> longer.  You can't start axing things and changing the default behaviour.
> Experienced users would have a definite FIT.
>

I don't think that new usability issues will be resolved in KDE2.  From
what I know, we are releasing a 2.2.1 and then - that's it for KDE2.  On
to bigger and better (and hopefully longer lasting) things.

> This thread should probably be changed to "User Interface Issues for KDE
> 3", and all the information here should be filed away and remembered when
> it's time to discuss the usability design of KDE 3.
>

I think that kde-usability should be for that.  We are going towards KDE3
very soon.  So, talking about these issues now is a good thing.

> I would agree with some of this stuff here.... less buttons crowding this,
> some text describing mysterious icons, et cetera.  KDE as it is still has
> some MAJOR usability issues.  But as of now, changing it for KDE2 is a very
> bad idea.

Right.

But, how should usability be handled?
Should we add a new option to bugs.kde.org?  Instead of entering
"wishlist" bugs for usability, what about "usability" bugs?
This way, all usability bugs could be addressed even in the middle
of a major version.
For example - if we address a great deal of usability issues in
KDE3.0 and then discover more issues that would benefit KDE3.1, 
how do we add them?  How would a simple user add them?

Should usability be a "formal test" for every version?  Or should
it be something that we can change in any version release?

The kde-usability mailing list has been discussing this (a bit).

Which is another point - who makes the changes once a usability
issue has been identified?  Should the kde-usability list be responsible
for those changes?  Or should the developers of the apps be responsible?

Greg
 
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