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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Localised folders in /home/user (Documents and Desktop)
From:       Uno Engborg <uno () webworks ! se>
Date:       2006-11-25 4:32:53
Message-ID: 1164429173.18506.113.camel () localhost ! localdomain
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lör 2006-11-25 klockan 10:08 +1000 skrev David Roberts:
> > Most of the discussion if users should se folders like the Desktop or
> > even folders like /etc, /proc, /dev,... and other UNIX related things,
> > boils down to the question: Should we create a good userinterface to
> > Unix, or should we create a good user interface for people.
> I agree that KDE should be as easy as possible to use, but not to simplify it 
> so much that it makes life hard for the powerusers. I really down't want KDE 
> going down the same path as Windows where everything has been chronically 
> dumbed-down. As for hiding elements of the root filesystem, I don't see why 
> this is needed as regular users wouldn't be visiting that directory very 
> often anyway. 

I agree. Good usability should not make life hard for powerusers, or
newbies. The problem with the dumbed down windows is that there are no
smart alternative to the GUI. In  Unix we have shells with smart command
line completion that powerusers can, and sometimes even prefer to use,
to do the impossible. Therefore, dumbing down the GUI slightly to help
the newbies is not much of a problem in Unix as it is in Windows.

Besides, powerusers have the power to undumb a system, if we give them
a possibility to do so, while the newbie will not be able to dumb down
something complicated to fit their current level of experience.

I have professionally used, managed and developed for Unix for almost 20
years and would probably qulify as a poweruser. Yet, when using a Mac I
never feel the urge to unhide  /bin, /usr/bin, /usr/sbin. Why should I?!
The files in /bin and /usr/sbin are in my path and I can type the
beginning of the command and use tab completion to use them. Neither do
I miss /dev. If there is a device that I could make use of, it should be
controlled by some kind of application and that application should have
an icon. E.g. a scanner should show up as a scanner icon, that when
activated opens e.g. xsane or kooka.

Most of the apps in /bin, /sbin, /usr/bin are command line applications
anyway, so it makes sense using them in Terminal. When I use Gnome, I
actually hides a lot of root level  folders. This makes it easier and
faster to find important stuff (i.e. my files).

GUI application should have proper application starters to make them
show up in the K-menu. If they don't, file a bug report to  whoever
distributes the app. The same goes for the stuff in /etc. If settings 
need to be edited, there should be a control panel to do it. If there
isn't, file a feature request. 

Powerusers as well as newbies benefit from the use simple easily
understandable unambigous metaphores. The desktop should be a desktop
and just a desktop, not some part of your file cabinet. The same line
of reasoning could be applied to the Trash.

In fact KDE have allready going in this direction. The Trash is a hidden
file on the file system and it doesn't show up in normal
file browsing the same thing could be true for Desktop.

USB sticks, CD-ROMs and other things that the user  can connect to their
computer, or disconnect and put in their pocket, should appear as if
they where separate artefacts when they are mounted on the computer.
I.e. there should be no up arrow if you browse them  in konquerer.

This may feel strange to a poweruser that knows that such devices are
mounted somewhere in the file system, but if they can't think of right
click on them  and select properties to find the mount point, they
probaly aren't powerusers.

Another thing, in discussions like this, we often hear that we should 
do design the GUI in this or that way because the Unix shell works in a
certain way. If we want good integration between GUI and CLI we must be
prepared to change both of them. E.g. why not make a bash fork
(perhpaps we could call it kash) that understood .hidden files
and .directory files, but in all other respects behaved like bash.


Regards
Uno Engborg







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