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

List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: 3.4 and kmail
From:       Segedunum <segedunum () actuaria ! co ! uk>
Date:       2005-04-21 22:44:07
Message-ID: 200504212344.19084.segedunum () actuaria ! co ! uk
[Download RAW message or body]

[Attachment #2 (multipart/signed)]


On Tue, 19 Apr 2005 17:14:50, Aaron J. Seigo wrote:
> the more input you and others can provide me as to what you would need /
> want from such a tool the better i will be able to deliver on it =)

I will certainly do so.

However, it is worth pointing out that the storage, and loss, of user settings 
and mail is not restricted to KDE. Anyone who has administered a reasonable 
number of users on *another platform* knows that stuff like this happens 
regularly, and I don't find any of this particularly shocking to be perfectly 
honest. Welcome to the world. However, that doesn't mean that there isn't an 
opportunity to remedy it it in many ways.

There is one way in which I think Windows has things right, with the base 
application data and My Documents stored separately. Hidden files and folders 
are never quite enough to stop accidents from happening.

However, on Windows user data and folders don't get re-used like /home 
directories on Unix type systems. Anyone who has re-added a user will know 
this to be incredibly frustrating, and the Unix way to be refreshing. 
However, that puts any new versions of desktops or applications under 
pressure to be fully backwards compatible with settings created on previous 
versions. You can do that through one and/or two ways:

1. Incredible amounts of testing with incredible amounts of users, and a fair 
bit of panel-beating.
2. A sensible (as possible) system for storing user/applications data and 
settings that is changed with great care, and is 100% stable.

Honestly, if KDE can work this out you'll have a killer feature. A lot of 
support time and money is totally wasted on this kind of stuff. There was a 
time when this sort of thing created employment, but it just doesn't now - it 
drains time, money and depresses people.

I've seen a Gnome system completely hosed through GConf errors for no apparent 
reason. Something to keep in mind when thinking about something like DConf. 
This is why people want to turn to Linux/Unix systems in the first place - 
reliability and insulation from these sorts of issues ;).

Cheers,

David

[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]