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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: kcontrol
From:       Simon Edwards <simon () simonzone ! com>
Date:       2002-07-09 16:34:49
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Hi,

> Fourth, and I think this may be in the works, I think the Information
> stuff should be completely removed from kcontrol because it only shows you
> information about the OS, but you can not control it.  Kinda seems
> pointless to be in a 'Control Centre,' but like I said I think there is
> already and "Information Centre" under k_menu->settings.

Well, my car has a 'control center' of sorts; the dashboard and steering 
wheel, and it too has stuff that is read-only (like temperature, oil etc), 
and can't be changed from behind the wheel.  The reason it belongs there is 
because is because it is _useful_ to have it there.

Also think about the user's point of view. What is the most obvious place to 
go to look for stuff about the computer and how it is setup? The control 
center of course. 

How about a thought experiment. Meet Bob. Bob wants to find out about this 
sound setup on his computer and maybe tinker with it. Bob's brain now 
contains "I want to fiddle with the sound". Bob just installed Linux and 
doesn't know much about it, but he saw the KDE Control Center and thought 
"Hey, that looks like the place.". Now the problem with separating stuff out 
of the control center just because it's read-only, is that for Bob to find 
stuff concerning his sound setup he now has to _magically_ know what KDE 
offers with respect to sound, ask himself if that's "read-only" or not, and 
then know to go somewhere *other* than the control center to see the 
read-only stuff. Bob sure has to magically know a lot of things to get where 
he is going... just before his brain only had "Want to fiddle with sound" and 
"KDE Control Center exists" in it.

So, don't organise stuff based on information the user doesn't have.

But, yeah, the hardware info modules need to be moved into tabs, and the 
information category removed.

cheers,

-- 
Simon Edwards             | Guarddog Firewall
simon@simonzone.com       | http://www.simonzone.com/software/
Nijmegen, The Netherlands | "ZooTV? You made the right choice."


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