From kde-usability  Thu Nov 23 08:17:56 2006
From: Maciej Pilichowski <macias () mat ! uni ! torun ! pl>
Date: Thu, 23 Nov 2006 08:17:56 +0000
To: kde-usability
Subject: Re: Localised folders in /home/user -- hiding better
Message-Id: <200611230917.56414.macias () mat ! uni ! torun ! pl>
X-MARC-Message: https://marc.info/?l=kde-usability&m=116426993900864

Hello,

  I see a big discussion started so I get back to roots. What is the 
REAL need of localizing folders? Does any user had lost because 
she/he didn't know she/he can click on "documents(localized name)" in 
file browser?
  Is there any bug? Is it REALLY more productive to have "Biurko" 
(polish) instead of "Desktop" directory?
    
  I simply doubt it. I guess advantages are minor. Just in case, back 
to the original Sven post:

> Since only very few people switch languages after installing KDE 

Please provide appropriate data. Is there 2% or 20% and how we can 
measure that?

What should be done if the language is switched? What problems such 
switch can cause?

Btw. as far as I can tell there two kinds of users -- do it yourself, 
and those who need constant help (with installation, upgrade, 
connecting to the net, etc etc etc). The latter ones I 
call "beginners" even if they work 20 years with computers.

> I think it would increase usability, if 
> those folders were created in the local language.

In what terms? As far as I can see beginners don't care about physical 
placement. They just get the appropriate "link" (clickable 
icon "documents" in file browser). For DIY guys I think it is better 
to have hardcoded directory since they can do not even think too much 
where the documents are. Useful when you help people with various 
configs.

> Those folders are partly translated in dialogues, e.g. the open/save
> dialogue  
> shows "Arbeitsfläche" on the speedbar which points to "Desktop" on 
> the  filesystem. This is confusing, since the user has to translate
> for itself  that in the filesystem the same place is called 
> differently then on the  speedbar.

What about "/home" then? Still not localized. 

I think "beginners" are interested in top layer. And it is better to 
hide internals than translating internals for them.

> Is there anything that would speak against localising folders from a
> usability  perspective? Or are their any other reasons against this?

Backward compatibility for example. Many user could have backups based 
on hardcoded "/home/Documents". Language switch after installation 
could be a problem. 

I think it is not worth the effort. Once again -- better hide physical 
layer than provide half-way "solution". In any non-English language 
it would look really awkward to see:
/home/Biurko
why not
/dom/Biurko
when home=dom in Polish the user could ask (but they do not ask -- in 
usefulnuss scale it does not matter).

And usability... my observation is this. Beginners are not interested 
in knowing where the files are placed, give them one top point and 
that's it, it could be "/tmp/var/lib/include"/ and they remember it 
it should be it, and organize their documents the way they like from 
that point. For usability it would be much helpful to stop user from 
going too up in directory structure and to hide (partially or in 
whole) the physical location. I mean, instead of
/home/macias/Documents/praca
in Polish I should see (something like this -- in file browser)
Dokumenty:praca
and I should not be able to get any further than
Dokumenty:

  In terms of "user-security" :-) it is better solution and more 
clear. No more "/home/macias/Dokumenty" (hey, what this "/home" stuff 
is anyway? ;-> ).

Just my 2 cents.
have a nice day
bye

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