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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Localised folders in /home/user (Documents and > Desktop)
From:       Maciej Pilichowski <macias () mat ! uni ! torun ! pl>
Date:       2006-11-29 11:03:34
Message-ID: 200611291203.34234.macias () mat ! uni ! torun ! pl
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Hello,

> > ... handicapped people, vision impaired,...
> Or you can inform the user that the files are
> actually accessable
> from "/media/MyUSB/..." and not restrict the browser to the USB
> filesystem. Why is this information too much?

Because it is not necessary. Whats more the question "what's this 
media stuff" arises.

To ensure we understand each other -- I opt for KDE two modes -- 
poweruser and restricted. They should differ. But also there are 
similarities.
For example I know a bit about unix filesystem structure but it would 
be more productive for me, that if I choose (file 
browser) "documents" I go to 
Documents:
not 
/home/macias/documents

even it is the same place. Why bothering me with constant info? 
Present only what is really needed. This is similarity. 
And now there is difference -- as a computer-geek (a bit :-) ) I would 
like to go up from there (poweruser mode). However I would like to 
set for "normal" users not to (restricted mode).

> Most users need non-KDE application too. If we break
> interoperability it is a problem. Interoperability is broken if
> non-KDE apps can't open a file on the USB stick.

How it could be done? Non-KDE app does not use KDE libs, right? So 
they will operate on /home/macias/Documents, normal users will notice 
the benetifs of using pure-KDE apps and that way KDE will rule the 
world :-D
Ok, little humor here, but that's really true -- the appeal of 
functionality, reliability, user-friendliness is the best argument I 
can think of.

> Again you need the information of what directory you are in, 

Documents:

does any "normal" user really care if it is 
in /usr/people/documents/macias? No -- it is her/his documents.

> > ad.back button) you didn't consider "panic factor"
> >
> > ad.back button) what is better -- just allow user to go somewhere
> > uncomfortable
> > place and then give him ability to return or to mark "dangerous"
> > points. I think
>
> What is dangerous? Why the panic? 

Ah :-)) Because of the way KDE works. Somebody wanted just to write a 
doc. And now she/he has to learn about filesystems, all the 
widgets, "do's" and "dont's", Joe Doe even has to learn what to 
choose when he clicks on power-off!
( Interesting analysis:
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2006/11/21.html
 however one step too far in the end, IMHO )

People are tired with the ordeal of questions, questions, questions, 
which are (for them) completely irrelevant what they are doing, 
situations caused by too "flexible" system.

> If you are not in your own 
> directories you shouldn't be able mess anything up.

Yes, but you are giving those people a knife and say "here, go wild, 
paramedic response time is below 2 secs, so there is no problem". I 
say -- get that knife back. 
So what the normal user should do in /var? or /usr/local?

If he knows the KDE he knows how to turn restricted mode off. If does 
not know -- well she/he should be not able to "get the knife" = going 
into the bare unix filesystem.

It is false reliability (usability). Make easy things easy to do, make 
difficult/"dangerous" things available _on demand_ (explicit).


I didn't even touched the subject of this back-attitude productivity 
especially for handicapped people. It is hard for them to read and 
analyze all the messages, so give them a hand and not force them to 
patiently analyze that they make a mistake and they should get back. 
A bit of anticipation (in restricted mode) won't hurt.

have a nice day
bye

PS. Just a bit-unrelated note. Example -- KMail composer, default, 1 
title, 8 menus, 19 icons on toolbar, 17 fields, 1 place to compose, 3 
status info. In total: 49 (FOURTY NINE) things to control! It is just 
scary, I say, Joe Doe deserves restricted mode :-)
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