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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Kicker bar maiming
From:       Harijs Buss <hbush () apollo ! lv>
Date:       2003-12-27 0:28:04
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On Saturday 27 December 2003 01:14, Sander Devrieze rakstija:

>  *all* software needs configuration. This is because there 
>  are different peoples with different tastes. Therefore KDE should 
> make *configuring* simplier 

Yes, people are different (and thank God they are). When configuring interface 
there are in fact two big aspects: one, what user wants and prefers; second, 
what system (e.g. KDE+Linux+hardware) can offer in terms of GUI.  Actual 
configuration is like some negotiated compromise solution between these 
parts.

First part is kind of _user_ description and should be system-independent. For 
example, for the time being I like and use screen resolution 1600*1200 for 
any system (Linux, Windows, ...).  I like "panel" (or Taskbar) to be located 
on the top of the screen, I like terminal window to be black with green 
characters (yeah, nostalgic :-) and so on.  These are _my_ preferences, they 
characterize me, not so much the system I use. 

What a nice possibility it would be if there would be some universal User GUI 
Preferences Description, system-independent, understandable by KDE and Gnome 
and eComStation and maybe even WinDows ;-)   OK, for starters it could be at 
least KDE-version-independent, because config files in my home dir not always 
are compatible from version to version.   Probably something like that has 
been invented already (as all good things usually are)?  What's the name for 
such thing?

It would be easier to decide about usability if we would know _which_ 
usability we are speaking about.  Usability for me is something totally 
different from usability for some developer, and both may have almost nothing 
in common with usability for young gamer.  User Preferences might be grouped 
somehow, leaving open possibility to choose from existing ones or define my 
own.  Instead of current situation I would then not loose such description 
with each new "big" version of KDE or another graphic system.  

To think further, such User Profile might be expandable by system during 
usage.  It could include some adaptation to my habits, learned by system 
during normal use.  Yes, of course, such profile will contain personal 
information... so what, let's keep them encrypted or whatever.  Seems that 
these new adaptive learning spam filters already belong to this category 
because what I decide is spam, is characteristics of me, to some degree...

Implementation anyone?  ;-)

Harry

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