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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: KOffice Dialog Box
From:       "Aaron J. Seigo" <aseigo () olympusproject ! org>
Date:       2002-06-15 9:35:25
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On June 15, 2002 12:02 pm, Joseph Manojlovich wrote:
> All I'm saying is that this broken behavior is ingrained in millions of
> office suite users. I agree that it's stupid to have to get a blank
> document before being able to choose a document template, but people
> are undoubtedly used to this from previous office suites.

we shouldn't perpetuate stupidity but give users better software.

> I don't want the dialog box to be removed, just to be made optional,
> that's all. For these people, who aren't used to it.

if it is made optional and most people hide it because they are used to that 
way of working then they will not get the benefit of those developments.

the real question is:

 how much of an inconvenience is the dialog (if at all?) compared to the
 benefits it offers?

if the inconvenience (pressing return) is larger than the benefits, it should 
be optional. if the benefits (which in this case are consistency and logical 
access to documents on start up) outweigh the inconvenience resoundingly, it 
should stay.

> > and yes, that dialog is dismissable with a simple press of the enter
> > button. you suggest that the dialog should be accessable via File -> New;
> > if it is so much of a burden then it shouldn't be pushed on the user
> > there either.
>
> It is accessible that way now. I'm just asking for an option to make
> the dialog box optional on startup, is all.

that was the point i was making: if it is good enough for File->New, why isn't 
it good enough for when the app starts up?

the distinction between "making a new document from the file menu" and "making 
a new document by clicking on the icon in the panel" is artificial. 
consistency is king.

> The emails were spread out over several threads, so it would have been
> annoying to have asked people to follow them, when I could simply have
> copied and pasted myself. I thought this would be more convenient for
> you.

thanks =)

i actually read the thread on the list as it happened ...

> > btw, do you have some evidence that 90% of people don't like it? or that
> > it bothers people to a great degree?
>
> The other 90% of office suites?

not products, people =) software, esp office software, has a really bad 
history of delivering not what users need but what marketing thinks they can 
sell and what the development budgets will allow.

- -- 
Aaron J. Seigo
GPG Fingerprint: 8B8B 2209 0C6F 7C47 B1EA  EE75 D6B7 2EB1 A7F1 DB43

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler" 
    - Albert Einstein
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