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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: "Over configurability" - please don't listen to bashers!
From:       Tim Jansen <tim () tjansen ! de>
Date:       2002-06-28 18:45:08
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On Friday 28 June 2002 19:40, Roland Seuhs wrote:
> I've never heard a user of ANY software product complain about
> over-configurability, only from people who don't like said software
> product.

Beside the usability issues, consider the development view:

Each configuration option:
- must be implemented once
- must be translated into all languages
- must be documented
- must be tested (for each release)
- if it interacts with other options they need to be tested in each 
combination, so the number of tests increases exponetially.
- increases code complexity
- makes the code more error-prone and buggy

I usually do not like to implement features if I cannot find a valid use case. 
A use case is there if there is something that the target group can not do 
without that feature (or that will be significantly more comfortable). 

bye...






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