wow, asking users for feedback!
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| tuxchick Nov 29, 2009 3:43 PM EDT |
Someone better alert the Software Developer's Union, I don't believe their charter allows listening to users. From the article: "with the Icon Usability Test, we not only receive feedback on the understandability of the icons, but also learn about cultural differences in their interpretation"." I never gave it much thought because you learn what the icons mean as you learn a particular piece of software. Like the little wrench means "configuration options", but what if you don't know what a wrench is? I'm not thinking of secret primitive societies either, but ordinary modern Americans who go all helpless if there isn't an iPhone app for everything. Which slides nicely into yet another tangent-- I think the baby boomers have spawned generations of kids with no manual skills at all. But then I tend towards pessimism anyway. |
| tracyanne Nov 29, 2009 5:21 PM EDT |
The thing is they are only interested in feedback when that feedback fits in with their goals. An Icon usability test is somewhat frivilous, but it also doesn't deviate from what they consider best for us. It hardly addresses the real issues people are having with the software. |
| caitlyn Nov 29, 2009 5:57 PM EDT |
ta: I don't believe you are the current target audience for KDE. (Neither am I, for that matter.) They clearly want "ease of use" meaning a standard definition of usability. They want to make it easy for non-technical users with zero Linux experience, hence the more Vista-like defaults. I believe their goal, whether stated or not, has more to do with Linux adoption and little or nothing to do with pleasing long time Linux users. In that context an icon usability test makes perfect sense. |
| hkwint Nov 30, 2009 5:06 AM EDT |
Quoting:but what if you don't know what a wrench is? When was the last time you repaired a post-2000 car with a wrench? Or an iPod or netbook? That's a bit of the problem: A wrench used to be useful to repair things. Nowadays when your car is broke, they hook up a laptop and the car is ought to tell why it is broke. Normally it's a "part" that is broke, which is simply replaced by a new one (a wrench might be needed here), and done! But you can't repair broken glass fibre with a wrech. |
| jacog Nov 30, 2009 5:36 AM EDT |
On the one hand, customer feedback is good, but on the other hand... do customers really always know what they want? It's the "demading a faster horse" mentality. The customer might demand a faster horse, but we can offer them a time-traveling Delorean instead. One that flies, no less. KDE4's problems were never related to the software itself, but rather to how they positioned themselves in the market. It needed two years to evolve from when it was declared "ready", with KDE3 still around for people to use day-to-day. |
| caitlyn Nov 30, 2009 8:37 AM EDT |
@hkwint: My 2005 Suzuki Reno came with a lug wrench. How do you change a tire without a lug wrench? |
| tracyanne Nov 30, 2009 4:31 PM EDT |
@caitlyn, you don't you get a big lug with a wrench (had to check that to make sure I hadn't said wench) to do it. |
| theboomboomcars Nov 30, 2009 11:47 PM EDT |
Quoting:When was the last time you repaired a post-2000 car with a wrench? Or an iPod or netbook?I don't own an iPod or netbook, so I haven't tried to fix a car with either of them. |
| tuxtom Dec 01, 2009 4:10 PM EDT |
Quoting:I believe their goal, whether stated or not, has more to do with Linux adoption and little or nothing to do with pleasing long time Linux users.If that goal carried any weight they would drop the KDE project altogether and focus on Gnome. The KDE team's effort has left me, a long-time Linux (and KDE) user, with no other viable option. |
| tuxchick Dec 01, 2009 4:14 PM EDT |
Eh? Tuxtom, why do you assume that everyone feels the same way as you? Lots of folks like KDE4. |
| tracyanne Dec 01, 2009 5:11 PM EDT |
TC, I agree with TT, that's nearly everyone, isn't it. |
| jdixon Dec 01, 2009 5:24 PM EDT |
> I agree with TT, that's nearly everyone, isn't it. Well, obviously everyone who matters. :) |
| azerthoth Dec 01, 2009 8:28 PM EDT |
KDE being the lesser annoyance as far as I am concerned, I still refuse to use Gnome. I will start an X session without a WM at all if my choices are that or Gnome. X :1 -ac -terminate & DISPLAY=:1 xterm -maximize. From there I will launch $GUIAPPS as needed from command line. |
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