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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Superlous configuration?
From:       ppostmus () gmx ! net
Date:       2005-01-06 16:51:50
Message-ID: 200501061751.50666.ppostmus () gmx ! net
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On Wednesday 05 January 2005 22:32, Harijs Buss wrote:
> On Wednesday 05 January 2005 23:23, Maurizio Colucci rakstija:
> >>At least in HEAD, you can use the middle mouse button to move buttons.
> >
> > <pedantic mode>
> > The problem is not that it's different, but that it's not *discoverable*.
> > </pedantic mode>
>
> Exactly. Ummm... tell us honestly... you didn't know it either, right? :))
>
> Non-discoverable features are non-usable.
>
> Harry
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> kde-usability@kde.org
> https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-usability

100% agreed. If a feature is not discoverable, it might as well not be 
implemented (from a user's POV). I think most users won't RTFM each time they 
want to know if and how KDE can perform an action (in part because KDE Help 
Center doesn't include a search, just the complete manual and an alphabetic 
list), and they also don't want to browse the mailing lists. 

If they discover an alternative way (in this case, RMB -> move), they'll be 
even less likely to discover the easier way. However, over time they'll 
complain, because in Windows they CAN drag&drop buttons in the panel, and in 
KDE they can't (not discoverable -> user perceives it as not being 
implemented).

The solution? Don't give up too much simplicity for avoiding the user to 
accidentally make mistakes. Yes, it's not very usable if users accidentally 
move buttons when LMB on an icon. But it's always a trade-off. Usability is 
no simple thing, and simplicity is also part of it.

Besides, if a user happens to accidentally move a button this way, he will 
also learn something: "left-click and drag enables me to relocate things. 
Let's try that on some files...".


But IMO this applies to more parts of KDE ;). Just my €0.02.

Peter.
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