From kde-usability  Thu Jul 04 07:28:27 2002
From: Waldo Bastian <bastian () kde ! org>
Date: Thu, 04 Jul 2002 07:28:27 +0000
To: kde-usability
Subject: Re: Usability Strategy Discussion
X-MARC-Message: https://marc.info/?l=kde-usability&m=102576782505630

On Wednesday 03 July 2002 06:41 pm, Robert Watkins wrote:
> >> Doesn't it concern you that developers are
> >> creating programs without an understanding
> >> of the subject matter?=3D20
> >
> >Why should that concern me?
>
> Dear Lord! Without understanding, at a minimum,
> the needs that a user would have and which the
> application is intended to fill seems a colossal
> waste of time.=20

It's not where you go, it's the road you travel.

> If you _are_ working towards the Olympics and
> fail to learn the best techniques, enhance your
> existing techniqes, get feedback from people you
> trust and/or respect, don't be surprised if you
> don't get there. If you're just out for a good
> time, don't sweat it if you aren't making
> progress. As long as you're having fun, don't
> change.
>
> Similarly for Usability. If your whole goal in
> volunteering for OSS development is to have some
> satisfaction in affecting an appliction, then
> keep working the way you are. However, if you are
> interested in Usability, you have to get
> knee-deep in the subject to gain any benefit from
> it. Just calling a discussion about "Look at my
> new screenshot!" isn't appropriate as a general
> Usability topic.

Well, I'm trying to explain the situation as it can be found within KDE. Wh=
ich=20
percentage of KDE developers can be found on this list? 1%, 10%, 50% or 90%?
I would put my bet on 1%. That probably means that 99% of the KDE developer=
s=20
do not plan to get a degree in Usability this year. You can have an opinion=
=20
of that, but it doesn't change the situation. Accept it.

Now, the people that _ARE_ on this list, _ARE_ interested in Usability. So =
I=20
would like to think that the people on this are interested in moving=20
Usability within KDE further along. I have tried to explain what motivates=
=20
people to work on KDE. That's a given. We can't change that. The big variab=
le=20
here is you, us. What actions can _we_ take to improve usability in KDE,=20
which actions have the highest return in terms of optimizing usability? How=
=20
much time do you personally want to spend on KDE per week? How can you spen=
d=20
that time the best in terms of usability return on invested time?

I know what the textbooks say about the software development process, I kno=
w=20
about CMM, the telecom company I worked for was at CMM level 3 and I think=
=20
CMM is great. I also know that those things don't work that way wihin KDE.=
=20
KDE is not a company, KDE developers are not employees yet those same KDE=20
developers as well as the way in which those developers are organized are t=
he=20
core assets of the KDE project. So set the textbooks about software=20
development processes aside, remember what you learned from them and then b=
e=20
creative in finding new ways of applying that knowledge in this completely=
=20
different environment that is called KDE.

Now that's a challenge, isn't it?

Cheers,
Waldo
=2D-=20
bastian@kde.org  |   SuSE Labs KDE Developer  |  bastian@suse.com

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