Mailinglist Archive: opensuse-gnome (75 mails)
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Re: [opensuse-gnome] Removing icons from menus by default
- From: Dan Goodman <Dan.Goodman@xxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 22 May 2009 11:04:01 -0400
- Message-id: <4A16BEE1.9000609@xxxxxxxx>
Stanislav Brabec wrote:
As I thought about, I realize that I tend to use topology for items I
use a lot, and confirm them via image recognition, never bothering with
the text.
On the other hand, if I am trying to do something that I only use
infrequently, or have never used, text is very important, and once I
locate what I want, I ask myself if I am likely to be using this more or
less regularly. If so, I tend to try to memorize the image and the
location. If not, I tend to try to remember the text (name) as my
primary recall mechanism.
As a result, I prefer both icons and text, and don't want the system to
move locations on me, nor do I want it to dictate a paradigm to me that
tries to shoe-horn me into using the desktop a certain way.
In fact, that is one of the main reasons I migrated to Gnome after
initially using "brand x" (at 10.3, my first foray into openSUSE, though
not my first foray into Linux).
And on upgrade, I want it to be easy to use the same visuals I used in
the previous version, at install. Then I tend to explore new appearances
once I get the fundamental things (release notes, changes in this
version, etc.) into my brain.
I think the key, as someone else noted, is to make it very easy for a
user to upgrade (or use for the first time) with minimal changes from
what they are accustomed to, and to give the user easy control to change
appearances, but never to try to force them onto the user in order to
"advance" the appearance or the functionality.
If a new way is better (esthetically or functionally) and it is easy
enough to discover and implement, people will naturally migrate to it.
If the user doesn't find it better, maybe it wasn't as great for them as
it seemed at the time it was developed.
Attraction (to new ways of doing things) always is more successful in
the long run, than promotions and forced transition.
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For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-gnome+help@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Vincent Untz wrote:Excellent summation of the various ways people access.
Hey,
What do people think about setting
/desktop/gnome/interface/menus_have_icons to FALSE by default?
I'm trying this, and while a few things needs some changes (panel menus,
mainly), I believe it makes the interface feel more stream-lined. So
this might be something we could consider for 11.2...
Well, no.
But I guess I could live just with icons, at least in my favorite
applications and main menu (I do that for toolbars).
Seriously, there are several ways how human brain locates items.
Different people can have a significantly different time of recognition
depending on way they have to locate it. It is more than a personal
preference and it's not easy to change. That is why the default should
be sufficient for everybody.
Text recognition:
Use verbs while searching. Read and understand text very fast.
Verbally oriented people would like text menu.
Image recognition:
Use images while searching. Quickly recognize images and symbols.
Visually oriented people would like icons.
Topological recognition:
Remember position of item. Quickly find it in a correct order.
Topologically oriented people want the item in the same place it was
last time.
As I thought about, I realize that I tend to use topology for items I
use a lot, and confirm them via image recognition, never bothering with
the text.
On the other hand, if I am trying to do something that I only use
infrequently, or have never used, text is very important, and once I
locate what I want, I ask myself if I am likely to be using this more or
less regularly. If so, I tend to try to memorize the image and the
location. If not, I tend to try to remember the text (name) as my
primary recall mechanism.
As a result, I prefer both icons and text, and don't want the system to
move locations on me, nor do I want it to dictate a paradigm to me that
tries to shoe-horn me into using the desktop a certain way.
In fact, that is one of the main reasons I migrated to Gnome after
initially using "brand x" (at 10.3, my first foray into openSUSE, though
not my first foray into Linux).
And on upgrade, I want it to be easy to use the same visuals I used in
the previous version, at install. Then I tend to explore new appearances
once I get the fundamental things (release notes, changes in this
version, etc.) into my brain.
I think the key, as someone else noted, is to make it very easy for a
user to upgrade (or use for the first time) with minimal changes from
what they are accustomed to, and to give the user easy control to change
appearances, but never to try to force them onto the user in order to
"advance" the appearance or the functionality.
If a new way is better (esthetically or functionally) and it is easy
enough to discover and implement, people will naturally migrate to it.
If the user doesn't find it better, maybe it wasn't as great for them as
it seemed at the time it was developed.
Attraction (to new ways of doing things) always is more successful in
the long run, than promotions and forced transition.
--
To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-gnome+unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxx
For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-gnome+help@xxxxxxxxxxxx
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