[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Desktop being $HOME
From:       Uno Engborg <uno () webworks ! se>
Date:       2002-11-30 3:42:38
[Download RAW message or body]

On Saturday 30 November 2002 01:12, Manuel Amador wrote:
> Guys, please look up:
>
> http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=51304
>
> I'm pretty sure I'm right from an usability point of view.  It would be
> easy to prove:
>
> - set two workstations up, one with Desktop=$HOME and other with
> Desktop=$HOME/Desktop
> - put a couple files in the homedirs of both
> - make newbies  look up files and open them
>
> good luck.  I'm available for any questions!


This is an extremly bad idea!
When you open your door at home is the first thing you step on your desktop?
I think not.  You enter your home and you put your groceries that you may
have purchased in the kitchen and hopefully you don't sleep on your desktop
you do that in your bedroom.

On your real life desktop you keep active work, while the rest is stored
away in file cabinets. Why should it different on the your computer desktop.
If you let inactive work pile up on the desktop you will not find anything.
Some people may be extremly tidy and always have an empty desktop
with only a few tools they need for their work laying out in the open.

The home directory in unix is used for a lot of stuff, e.g. configuration 
files and folders for various programs and they are not always dot-files.
(e.g the Mail folder of kmail or the mbox file). This means that the desktop
would be cluttered with a lot off stuff that the user isn't supposed to touch.

I really can't see how  the change makes it easier to find things.
Besides most othter systems have their desktop arrangement the same way.
Changing it would make it harder to administrate systems where users can
chose between different desktop environments e.g. KDE and Gnome.


Regards
Uno Engborg


_______________________________________________
kde-usability mailing list
kde-usability@mail.kde.org
http://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-usability
[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]