Re: Galeon target users?

On Sat, Oct 12, 2002 at 03:23:01PM +0000, [email protected] wrote:
> >What you are saying is that the vast majority of users don't want to
> >know anything about computers, and anyway, they don't have the right
> >thing to learn about it. Well, it is lest brutally said, but basically
> >it is that. 
> 
> You are on crack. I'm saying the vaste majority of users doesnt need or
> want to learn about computers more than what they need to get their work
> done.

They don't care or need now, but this could change in the future. By
your approach you kill in the egg any tentative of them to learn a bit
more advanced stuff in galeon.

> What you are not saying explicitly but it's a sure consequence of your reasoning
> is that people that dont care to learn about computers more than what they
> need, cant use computers.

No.

There is a difference between not caring or not needing to learn about
computers, and being too stupid to recognize that you should modify
options that you don't know about. 

I am pretty familiar with the problem you face, i guess it goes like
this (adapted from a real case, were word just ate many hours worth of
document writing without saves) :

Real user asking you for help :

  "What happened, this stupid program just did <insert stupid thing that
  should not have happened>"

You : 

  "What did you do ?"

Real user :

  "I did nothing, it just did it."

You : 

  "Well, tell me what you were doing, what button, menu or something did
  you press ?"

Real user : 

  "I didn't do anything, it just went away, ..."

... Real user ends up crying because the work has to be finished
tommorow morning and it is 10 o'clock in the evening.

Is that what you mean ? Do you really think this person would not
willingly learn how to correctly use a program like galeon ? Especially
since galeon is not saddled with decenies of stupid UI design like word
is ?

> >You are targeting potential future users, by antagonizing the
> >existing user base, this is no good way, better to think about a way to
> >satisfy everyone
> 
> I dont plan to satisfy everyone ! That's the better way to make no one happy.

And what do you think is happening right now ? Why were you speaking
about a code fork ?

> > and not forget that even basic users will be able to
> >evolve and learn more things, especially if gnome/galeon provides them
> >an environment where they are not afraid that any minor change will
> >break everything.
> >
> 
> Oh damn, you keep to want to educate people that doesnt really need to be
> educated. They know how to do their work very well. Our work is to provide
> them tools that allow them to get their work done, not to force them to
> learn how computers works.

Professional deformation i guess, ...

Ok, but remember the HIG, it says to write code for _all_ the users, not
only part of them. You should not limit the code so a part of the user
cannot shot themself in the foot, and in the process block another group
from getting their work done.

And i am sorry, but wanting a user to know that if he changes options he
know nothing about it may break his setup is not the same as wanting
them to learn about computers or whatever they don't want.

Friendly,

Sven Luther


-------------------------------------------------------
This sf.net email is sponsored by:ThinkGeek
Welcome to geek heaven.
http://thinkgeek.com/sf