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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Open recent, I meant "clear the list"?
From:       Peter <gostelow () global ! co ! za>
Date:       2009-07-05 13:31:54
Message-ID: 200912311430.44694.gostelow () global ! co ! za
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On Sunday 05 July 2009 10:29, Dotan Cohen wrote:
> >> Imagine two human beings who share a household and use the same
> >> computer, one account. Would you consider this an atypical situation?
> >
> > Absolutely. I personally have at least four accounts. All other family
> > members have there own accounts. If we need to share files, we use group
> > permissions, so only those family members in that group can access the
> > files. Members belong to several groups, some common to all. I often work
> > in two or more accounts simultaneously. For some accounts, I have setup
> > kate one way, for another account I have it another.
>
> I dare say that while your usage is more perfect than the averave
> household, it is not typical. My building has ten familes, a total of
> 16 personal computers. Every single one of them is configured with
> only one user, and most are used by more than one family member. Only
> two present a login screen and one of those is mine. The other is a
> laptop that is often used outside of the house. I know this because I
> am the "computer guy" in the building. In addition to my household,
> three others have Kubuntu on at least one computer, by my doing.

Maybe that is typical for home use. It surely isn't typical for businesses. 
Needless to say, I am surprised.

>
> Most other people that I know, Windows and Linux users alike,
> configure their systems this way. In fact, outside of the local LUG, I
> can think of only a single example that I am aware of where a home
> computer has more than one account. That is actually a Windows XP
> machine, in use by a distant relative of my wife.
>
> > Any friends or visiting relatives have their own accounts, too, so they
> > can pick up where they left off and their settings remain in tact.
>
> Again, while I contend that this is the ideal, this is not typical.

It is normal, you have to login to an account, why not your own?

>
> > The UNIX system is multi-user, so even with one computer, several people
> > can access it and have their own data, settings, configurations, etc. and
> > still access all the computer without affecting other users.
>
> But few home users take advantage of that.

That's a pity because the real beauty of the system is the ability to 
personalize it and avoids this clear list confusion.

>
> >> Person A opens a file and does not want Person B to know that he
> >> opened it. What should he do?
> >
> > Create his own account. It is fairly easy with 'adduser'. Each account
> > (not member) has a private directory under /home,
> > e.g. /home/account1, /home/account2, /home/account3, ... Each person is
> > free to organize their directory as they see fit, but still access all
> > the computer.
>
> So the solution is to reprogram the user? I do not think that is
> practical.

Your situation is different to mine. I always start a new user with their own 
account, so there is no reprogramming. For you, reprogramming is probably not 
practical. If users are happy with one account, I wouldn't try changing them. 

However, if they don't want others to access certain files, using a different 
account is the GNU way.

> Good software anticipates users' habits. Terrible software 
> tries to change users' habits to the will of the programmer.

Similarly, bad habits defeat good software. The system doesn't force anyone to 
change their habits, it merely gives them an account to do it in.

So far, all the people have liked the idea of having their own account and 
personal files. Few, however, bother to logout.

Are you certain the people use one account because they only want one, or 
because they don't really understand how GNU accounts work? If you created 
personal accounts for each person, I'd be interested to know how many actual 
start using them within a month. Keep the shared account.

>
> > A single account? Never! :(
>
> Not for you, but yes for most households. Can anyone else chime in
> with use cases that they are familiar with?

I'd be very interested, I have come across comments reflecting my situation, 
but maybe it isn't typical.

Regards,

Peter
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