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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Remove Home icon from Desktop (was Mini usability study)
From:       Aaron Seigo <aseigo () kde ! org>
Date:       2004-09-29 16:49:11
Message-ID: 200409291049.11336.aseigo () kde ! org
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On September 29, 2004 10:14, Uno Engborg wrote:
> I prefer putting the "My Documents" folder inside Desktop as this is how
> it looks to the user.
> The usesr should not need to know about $HOME directories or other
> concepts from the unix world.
> He should be able to refer to things  he can see on his desktop.
> I expect that most users would assume that, if he created another folder
> on his dektop,  that folder
> would be a sibling to the "My Documents" folder, not a child of a
> sibling to the "My Documents" folder.

UNIX, and its predecessors, were the original multiuser systems. they didn't 
get everything right, but one thing they DID get right was the home directory 
(or.. in today's terminology, the home folder). we should remember that they 
were bringing computing to people for the first time. UNIX was not so much 
for compsci academics as it was for scientists, mathematicians, accountants 
and other bean counters. we should ask ourselves: why did they pick the idea 
of a "Home" folder? 

well, the same reason we have a "home page" in web browsers: it's a very 
effective metaphore.

the idea of "My Documents" is actually totally broken. it requires users to 
understand that "files" in the computer are often referred to as "documents" 
and that they belong to you.  on the other hand, everyone from toddlers in 
Canada to bushmen in Africa understand the concept of a "home": it's where 
you are and where you put your things.

i've actually tested this on computer newbies and it resonates far stronger 
than "My <anything>" because it doesn't require one to first learn the 
example used in the metaphore. or think about it this way: how easy is it to 
come up with a distinct icon for your home directory versus a "My Documents" 
directory? visual expressivity of a concept is often a great way to help 
measure the clarity of the concept.

furthermore, shoving stuff onto the "Desktop" is antiquated. the desktop as a 
storage place is unergonomic and will slowly go the way of the dodo. look at 
WinXP these days, it comes with exactly one icon: Recycle Bin. look at MacOS 
X: most everything is in the dock.

the Home directory is a very effective metaphore, and the desktop is a poor 
place to go storing things. the only thing we'd gain is being more like 
Windows (well, in some ways, less like recent Windows releases) at the 
expense of offering a less coherent metaphore.

furthermore, i'm not sure what problem we are trying to solve here. are people 
truly confused about their Home folder? do people have a hard time finding 
the Control Center? do people need more icon fluff on their desktop?

-- 
Aaron J. Seigo
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