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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    The importance of the default configuration / Study Case: Kopete.
From:       "Yanis Kekatos" <kekatos () gmail ! com>
Date:       2006-03-13 2:51:50
Message-ID: dea3c3190603121851l6ae7deeasabbcf3c8799dca62 () mail ! gmail ! com
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I believe that the default configuration that implements the default
human computer interaction framework of every application is a
usability issue and it is of primary importance.
From my own experience I have noticed that most devs don't understand
the importance of the default configuration and they usually claim
that if the user dislike a default option he can just change that.
I disagree with such a way of thinking for the following reasons:
- When users use an app for the first time they expect some specific
behaviour from their interaction with it. Sometimes this is related
with what is called consistency.
- Users don't use apps that they don't like the *default*
configuration. Even if they can adjust it to they way they want, they
don't do that.
- I believe that apps and desktops must build a whole 'set' of
efficient ways of interacting with them and then make that familiar to
the users so this set to become the status quo one.
- The default layout must be *simple*. User can add later everything
he may need.

To give you the whole concept in a more understandable way I will
review the default configuration of a KDE app, kopete. I chose that
one because in my view there are a lot of usability flaws in the
default configuration.

Kopete 0.12 Beta1 usability flaws:

Main/Roster window:
1. Show offline users option is enabled: This is a huge mistake. Who
in the world wants to see all the time a huge list with offline
contacts??? I can't imagine for what reason this option is enabled.
2. Search toolbar is enabled: users rarely or never search for
contacts as most people use irrelative messages as status messages.
This should be disabled.
3. Every new conversation use different window!!? Why not just use tabs???

Chat/Conversation window:
-- This is the definition of a bloated User Interface.
1. Format toolbar is enabled. How frequent do users send text
formatted messages? For what reason would a user send a right aligned
text? I can't imagine.
2. The menu bar is bloated. Who does need the Settings or Help menu in
the chat window????
3. What Forward/Back buttons (action) do????? 'ReadTheFucknigManual'
is not a answer that has a usability oriented basis.
4. The ('Kopete') style (of display) in the chat window is not usable
and far too complex. This is a classic example of *not simple user
interface*. The default style should be something like the 'Retropete'
one.

The previous analysis is only a small example of how bad choices in
default configuration lead to bad usability.

I hope other people (here) have the same thoughts/way of thinking so
we can join and work on a common basis for a better free desktop.

Greetings,
Yanis Kekatos.
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