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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: KOffice Dialog Box
From:       Joseph Manojlovich <josephm () mail ! sis ! pitt ! edu>
Date:       2002-06-15 18:38:50
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On Sat, 15 Jun 2002, Aaron J. Seigo wrote:

> 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.

Yes.

> 
> > 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.

Yes. I just never expected such a thought-out response to this issue as
has happened. I peronally feel that putting too much thought into an
interface is almost as bad as thinking too little :-)

> 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.

Do you feel this consistency should extend across the entire KOffice
suite? For instance, KSpread and Kivio also have this behavior, which
is odd considering they don't have templates, that I'm aware of. In
fact, selecting File->New in KSpread results in a curious dialog box,
asking if you want to open an existing file, a recent file, or create a
new document.

What exactly is File->New supposed to do, really? I can understand
having templates shown here, but asking to open a file just seems
strange. File->Open results in a standard open dialog box; shouldn't it
then also bring up the same dialog as File->New, to be consistent?

> > 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.

Indeed. Perhaps this change will wind up in other office suites then.

--
Joe Manojlovich
josephm@sis.pitt.edu
http://www2.sis.pitt.edu/~josephm
"We're not investing in dreams anymore." 
  -- Microsoft General Manager Alan Yates



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