[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: [Fwd: [kde] quick question about desktop text]
From:       "Aaron J. Seigo" <aseigo () kde ! org>
Date:       2005-02-13 23:05:35
Message-ID: 200502131605.36372.aseigo () kde ! org
[Download RAW message or body]

[Attachment #2 (multipart/signed)]


On Sunday 13 February 2005 03:08, Harijs Buss wrote:
> Will user opinion about that be involved at least somehow?

of course. but perhaps not in the way many imagine it when they ask this.

having random users pop in random ideas is rarely useful. it's about as useful 
as random users suggesting ways to design our code better. most users aren't 
coders, and most that are have no idea about our code design. every once in a 
while there is a person who is a user, coder and has some concept of the 
design involved and they do provide useful input. usually in the form of a 
patch. otherwise, these kinds of input are useless and simply "noise".

so simply asking all our users for their input will result in unqualified 
ideas that more often than not will lack the necessary contextual awareness 
(e.g. what's in CVS HEAD, what our HIG says, etc =) to be useful. it also 
sets them up for disappointment and even anger when their pet idea doesn't 
happen, even if it's for a good reason.

but user opinion IS important! the way to gather it is the question. we need 
usability people familiar with how to gather this information and knowledge 
of our design principles and the greater context of KDE. we need user studies 
done, data collected, normalized and interpreted. this will keep noise low 
(thereby not chasing devels away screaming) and signal high (thereby 
resulting in high quality results). 

those users who are able to contribute on their own two feet, so to speak, 
should do so via the kde-usability@kde.org email list and/or irc. at which 
point they are not just users, they are contributors.

it's really all about how we collect these "user opinions". =)

-- 
Aaron J. Seigo
GPG Fingerprint: 8B8B 2209 0C6F 7C47 B1EA  EE75 D6B7 2EB1 A7F1 DB43

[Attachment #5 (application/pgp-signature)]

_______________________________________________
kde-usability mailing list
kde-usability@kde.org
https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-usability


[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]