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List:       kde-look
Subject:    Re: control panel
From:       Thomas Zander <zander () xs4all ! nl>
Date:       2000-11-07 18:44:54
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On Monday 06 November 2000 16:25, Tom Hoferek wrote:

> > But this will elliminate the users ability to quickly go throught the
> > modules, the user will have to manually close every window.

> You can still quickly go through the modules by looking at what is
> displayed on the right as you click through the tree. 

> You don't have to display the module just to see what is in it.
> There is no functionality being dropped here.

The suggestion to display a nice text with a few graphics is a nice one, but 
it will always be a poor substitute for the original. People will not always 
remember the name of a feature, they will probably remember where it was 
located or what it looked like. To help such users you will definitely need 
the real thing, not a description. 
Among that fact is the problem that most people will not read texts when they 
don't have to.

So the functionality you are dropping here is that people will loose the 
ability to quickly go through a set of modules to find where 'that' option is 
located. 
Yes, this might be minimised by having good naming and good structuring of 
the modules/options but you will never eliminate it.

I agree with Waldo here, while we are serving 2 types of usage here people 
will rarely see the dialog "forget/save" when they use the control center in 
one particular flow. Only when they mix flows will the 'problem' occur. 

In a basic example, someone wants to fix this feature that has been bugging 
him, so they fire up the control centre and search for the feature, they 
either use the search tab or flip through the modules. After changing that 
feature they should close it because they are done with the control center. 
Why do these people keep the contol center open and start browsing the tree?
What does go wrong at that point?
Is a solution to always start with the search tab?

>
> The display button allows for traditional interaction, but it can be
> bypassed by double clicking tree item or selecting it and using the 'enter'
> key. There needs to be a 'selection' action and then an' invoke selection'
> action in the tree to invoke the dialogs. We wouldn't want the two actions
> merged because then we'd have dialogs popping up whenever a selection is
> made in the tree.

While you are right on the basis, the truth is that many people don't 
understand the concept of clicking and double clicking, therefor we should do 
everything in our power to eliminate these situations.
I can point you to horders of people that _always_ double click. Mainly 
becuase they are never punished when the do and they don't have to.

Which is why I think the latest change to kicker where double click will only 
open 1 instance is a bad thing, but that is another thread ;)

-- 
Thomas Zander                                            zander@earthling.net
The only thing worse than failure is the fear of trying something new

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