[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: user study
From:       Marcus Oliver Notz <linux () whohoo-designworx ! com>
Date:       2001-08-19 3:10:29
[Download RAW message or body]

Hi Matt, and all reading this thread!

Thank you very much for your nice and informative mail about your project. 
which I really like and would be honored to become part of it...thank you too 
for forwarding the past communication about this topic, i could get involved 
in it easy that way!

I would be more than happy to participate in this project, and I know for 
sure that once we are all set, I at least can contribute a LOT of 
'guinea-pigs' for the actual study (ya, study sounds so much better than test 
;) ), because first I have a lot of clients who I know would help me out 
(some who already run linux servers in their companies), second because I 
have a lot of contact to all kinds of computer interested and perhaps more 
important not-interested people and last but not least, because my buddy owns 
THE coffee shop here in town, and you can always see a bunch of people 
staring in their laptops in there.
So much for that, but there is still some water flowing down the creek until 
we are there. 
Again, thank you for the warm welcome!


<snip>
> > On Saturday 18 August 2001 03:23 pm, Jim Conner wrote:

> > >This testing needs
> > > to be done with the current, stable KDE2.2.
> >
> > This is a complicated issue.  All of the major distributions ship with
> > 2.1. We may have to make that our standard, as upgrading is not easy.
> > Eventually there will be a web administered study where we will want
> > feedback from older versions.  Knowing what version the subject is
> > evaluating is crucial however.
>
> I am concerned that if we use KDE2.1.1, developers will say that the
> usability issues were fixed in KDE2.2 concerning a certain problem.  I
> haven't seen KDE2.2 yet, but I know that some usability issues have been
> addressed, and some haven't.  If we are going to use both versions, we need
> to state what version was used for the study and write the tasks to be
> completed by the user so that they can be accomplished in much the same way
> by both versions.  If we find a task that differs greatly between KDE2.1.1
> and KDE2.2, we need to either re-evaluate the task or have two versions of
> that task.
<snip>

I run 2.2 since two days now, and, yes, there are definitely improvements in 
there, which would make a difference in the usability study, compared to 
2.1...It is not that 2.2 is a major release, but it is much more than a 
bugfix. And I guess that there will be no further bigger release until 3.0 
planned for Feb. 2002.

I understand that it would be hard for the web-test, if we are not using a 
complete JAVA, JScript or whatever solution, but I too gladly contribute my 
time and laptop for the study 'on the road'.

Because of the many little differences in KDE configurations between the 
distro's we should perhaps come up with a standard version of a 2.2 desktop 
to have all the menus, icons and apps in the same spots and places to further 
unify the test-environment for the 'face-to-face' study.


Another thing what to this late hour came to my mind is, that while doing the 
study with the 'normal' computer user we probably often run into comments 
like "but in (e.g.) W*ndows that works so and so..." or "but in (e.g.) 
W*ndows this is much easier", where the question comes up if it really is 
easier, or more likely that everybody (ok, mostly everybody) just got used to 
it over the years. So somehow the way of the study should make it possible 
that we can evaluate the real reason for answers like that.


Ok, you guys gave me a lot to think about with your fast response to my 
introduction from this morning, so that you will hear from me soon again with 
more ;) Don't say I didn't warn you!


You all have a good night and a great rest of the weekend,

-- 
Marcus...;-)


P.S.: If you find mistakes and strange sounded lines in my mails, please 
forgive me, I am only here since about 1.5 years and some of my english is 
sometimes still a lil bit wobbely...at least in writing ;-)

--------------------------------------------------------------
Uber-Powered by S.u.S.E. Linux 7.1pro / KDE 2.2.18....I love it!
--------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
kde-usability mailing list
kde-usability@mail.kde.org
http://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-usability

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]