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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: (Real) Task Orientation in KDE 4.0 using KParts
From:       Sebastien Laout <sebastien.laout () tuxfamily ! org>
Date:       2003-10-12 16:37:37
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> This task-orientation should be taken to the desktop itself. No concept
> of openning an application, but of realizing a task.
> [...]

Very good idea Renato !! Perhapse the future.

I've already thinked about that and
we can disting two sort of use for the PC :

* Project oriented : TASK (redaction, memory, report...)
    We group all files about a same task in a folder.
    And then, we ONLY manipulate those files and folder :
    not the applications !
* Usual things/files : play music, video, game... (multimedia?)
    It isn't tasks because we cannot have a folder per "music"
    or group all sort of MIME in an unique folder for a given time
    (contrary to projects...)
* Do you have any other sort of task we can execute with the PC ????

After thinking about that, I realized that was the same orientation of
Longhorn !!!

Lorghon will have "*LIBRARY*" to represent "usual things" (do you have
any other name than librarys ? ) :
- Music library
- Pictures and Videos Library
- Games Library
- Etc...

But we have some problems : we cannot put all images in "Image library"
because some projects/tasks must have theire own images/pictures.
Idem for downloads : we can downloads "generic/usual things" like
programs, wallpapers or images to insert in the project (that can
contain presentation, WordProcessor document...).

One solution is to rearange the save dialog and allow to save in few
locations :
- Put this file in the current task
- Put the file in the task [ComboBox or IconBox]
- Put in the image/downloads library
So, the fileSystem disapeare and users are not confused : they do a
memorium, so they put theire file in teire "Memorium" project/task !!
That's all ! IMO It's a beautiful and consistant way to use the PC,
especially for beginers.

> *View File [...]
> *Create File [...]
> *Edit File [...]

Let me group all those "tasks" in one.
Let's me explain :

We can have a completly different desktop than today : no K|StartMenu
and...
The desktop BECOME the home folder or is deleted.
Or better : when we start our session the desktop provide several
options and we are asked what we want to do :
* Start a new task >> List of templates
   - New presentation
   - New report
* Continue a task  >> List of already created tasks (and not archiveds)
   - Meet with Johana
   - Holidays 2003
   - My English homeworks
   - End of month activity report
* Reopen an archived task >> To free the tasks list
                             for example if we have terminated our
                             A Level report, we can archive it)
* Do an "usualy" task >> That are not considered as tasks
                         ie: they have not a own directory
                             and they cannot be archived
   - Go online and browse/chat/read_mails...
   - "Multimedia center" : Play music, play a DVD, an XVid...
   - Browse "My pictures" / Change wallpaper...
   - Play a game...

We can "program" usual tasks to be started at session start : continue
play music, etc... and/or have a "kicker applet" to control music...
(between quotes, because we haven't need to have kicker : we doethinking
about applications but about files in a task. See below)

So, when we have created or continue (load/open...) one task, the
"actual folder" become the actual task folder (folder is automatically
created at task creation, to get organized ! ).
We now can create a new file (presentation, image...) and we think about
files : we open those files and they appear in the "kicker" of the
current task (to have the ability to switch quickly between files) :
this "bicker" must be saved per task.
We create files in the current task and the user hasn't to handerstand
the file system structure : he only give a name to his file and that's
all : this file is saved in the current task.

Hum... We now can be organized when we do tasks and musics are not
considered as tasks. Good.

But Get email isn't an alone task : we can get emails to the current
work and we want to organize them in the "Work report" project/task, for
example...
Idem for Web browsing : we can browse for the current work, or to get
news...
And also for calendar : actually we must create a directory to put all
files relative to a task, and go to Kalendar to also create a folder for
this task, and ALSO in KMail to create a new folder for this new task,
and open a Konqueror window if we want to get_files/search on the web.
But this is the same task !

The same sort of problem is for Kopete contacts / KMail contacts...
We can have professionnal contacts, contacts for the current work
(customers, manager, etc...)

So, we must group all those things in A TASK file the task's files.
Actually we can use MultiDesktop to separate the apps : in Desktop1 we
have School homework, in Desktop2 we have webBrowsing. But it isn't full
task oriented and we must reorder that at session restart (yes : KDE can
memorise it ! ).

> *Browse (files, the web, audiocd, lan, whatever... read Konqueror)

Browse files >> browse the current task directory PLUS
contacts/mails/projectDownloads...
Browse audioCD >> Must be in JuK or any other "Multimedia center"

> *Burn a CD-ROM (K3b)

We can burn to save data CD (of a task or a lot of tasks) or burn a
music CD : must be grouped in current task AND in JuK because it isn't a
task in it.

> *Communicate with portable device (Camera, Palm, Phone, MP3)

Yes good idea ! I haben't thinked about it.
We also must take this in consideration.
Idem : a PDA is quite task oriented : we must transparently create a
task on the PC AND on the PDA and sync the current task trasnparently.

> *Manage downloads (KMLdonkey, Kget, maybe even Kopete and KSirc)

Good idea to group all sort of downloads... They are all downloads :)
Hum... We can have a 3° concept... How can I call them...
"Monitors" !
I do a task but I've a monitor in the "kicker" : music playing (and
control : pause, forward...), current downloads (to current task or to
Downloads "library")...

> Renato Machado de Sousa

I'm very interested by your's ideas because I've also thinked for a task
oriented desktop.
Hum... It could be an application that cover all the desktop or be an
totaly new DesktopEnvironment... based on KDE, of course.
Less drastically, we can make an application, that manage this.
If you say that KPart can concretise my "dream"... Good news :-)

What do you think about that ?

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