[cumbria_lug] Observations

[jenruss+jen at mail.plus.net]

> I've spent a bit of time studying user interface designs, and I always 
> prefer the KISS principle for anything destined for end users, but I 
> still keep the advanced options in there - they're just not visible by 
> default.

"Advanced options" buttons are a good thing - keep all the complicated
stuff out of the way so it doesn't scare newbies, but make it accessible to
the people who want it.

> Too many people are obsessed with the 'one size fits all' idea, and 
> wrongly apply it in equal measures to everything from GUIs to distros to 
> licenses.

Too many people are also obsessed with GUI=pretty, therefore
pretty=important. Not true. I've just installed Slackware (Debian gave me
far too many problems - how am I supposed to make Konqueror work if
everything seems fine, but it just won't run?) and it was really quite
easy, despite being entirely text based. Just about every screen had a bit
of info about what the options meant, and gave you a suggestion for what
the average user might want. So even Aunt Tillie wouldn't have needed much
help to get through it - just go with the defaults and the standard
suggestions for everything, and you'll have a working system. I don't think
the text based install will really scare anyone who is brave enough to try
any kind of install themselves.

It didn't need fancy context-sensitive help, because it told you everything
you needed on the screen. There's no reason this would have to be any
different in a full GUI - adding some text to your form isn't going to
bloat it much. "Help" that is wrong, out of context or difficult to get
your head around can do more harm than good, but a lot of it is more down
to the wording than the coding.

Auto-detecting everything is going to make the apps bigger, but it can also
make them much easier to use. The average home PC has the resources not to
care if any given program is three times bigger than it needs to be, so if
making it bigger will make it easier, it's got to be worth considering.

If Linux is going to spread on the desktop market, it has to become more
accessible and easier for Average Joe to install and configure. Bits of it
are getting there, but there's still a lot that isn't.

If those in the server/power user/ubergeek end of things don't want all the
extra help, and all the extra bloat that goes with it, then what's to stop
people releasing two versions of their package - one with full install
assistance, and one with only basic install assistance? Seems like the
obvious way of doing things to me, as it would give both ends of the
spectrum full access to your product.

Hugs,

Jen

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