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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Proposal: kde guide systray update
From:       Datschge () gmx ! net
Date:       2003-02-04 1:08:56
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Thank you for the first round of responses. Here are my answers. =) 
  
Aaron:  
> how would the animation referred to be provided and look like? 
  
The best choice is the already existing windows animation/genie effect 
you get when minimizing a window to the taskbar. The code for this 
exist already and users are familiar with its purpose. 
  
> how would applications such as kmail use a systray icon? currently 
> it offers a simple notification in the system tray that makes 
> absolutely no sense not to be there unless there is a kmail process 
> (window) running. 
  
It absolutely makes no sense to use the systray if there's a window 
already. If there's a window then it appears in the taskbar, so use 
the taskbar to deliver simple notifications through changing/blinking 
icons. 
  
> (oh, and there is a typo in the original and in yours: "non-document 
> specific applitions" should be "non-document specific applications") 
  
Thanks, I corrected that in my local copy. 
  
> this is an implementation detail that the user should not be 
> bothered with IMO. there should either be a systray icon or their 
> shouldn't be. it should either always be there, or it should 
> disappear when the last kopete window closes 
  
I mentioned the point of that particular usability report in our 
discussion before and Eric asked me to add it to your Kopete usability 
report, so here we go. 
 
Btw Aaron, I was looking for related guidelines for Gnome and didn't 
find any (only some notes regarding accessibility using a keyboard). 
Should I introduce my draft to the open-hci mailing list for discussion 
as well? 
  
Eric:  
> Do we have session management guidelines, and if so where might they 
> be found? 
  
Yes, and it's pretty clear as well:

http://developer.kde.org/documentation/standards/kde/style/basics/settings.html#sessions  
 
Waldo:  
> Based on the following phrase in these updated guidelines: 
>  
> "Systray applications are so called GUI daemons, i.e. they are 
> <b>automatically started</b> as part of KDE's start up (without 
> showing anything but its systray icon) and represent services 
> [snip]"  
>  
> I would say that they should not be part of session management 
> sessions. 
  
Exactly.  
  
> I would stress the purpose of a systray thingy a bit more, something 
> like: "The purpose of a systray entry is to have a non-intrusive 
> user interface presence that is always available to the user." 
  
Great sentence, I'll add it to the current (-ly unsatisfying) short 
description. =)  
  
> This implies that no specific action (e.g. application launch) 
> should be required to get it, but that it is autostarting by 
> definition. (You mention that already) (Always there, time wise) 
>  
> And it implies that it by definition has a "on all desktops" 
> behaviour. (Always there, spatially) That's pretty much inherent to 
> the current implementation but I think that usability wise that is 
> an important factor. 
  
Yes, indeed. Thanks for crafting a sentence including all those 
"implications". ;)  
  
As for your freewheeling I don't really understand what your point is. 
Yes, the panel can be extended with simple icon, push button offering 
simple UI's for achieving/accessing something as well as complect UI's 
like KMix etc. All of them are obviously not related to the systray. 
Or did I miss something?  
  
Cheers, Datschge =) 

-- 
KDE 3.0 was  the  breakthrough  in technology
KDE 3.1 was  the  breakthrough  in   eyecandy
KDE 3.2 will be the breakthrough in usability
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