[Thunar-dev] Re:Interface Thoughts.

[Erik Peterson]

Wow, that more response than i expected.  Thanks!  I am work in on
compiling up the prototype.

>While this provides a very fast way to browse into deeply nested
>directories, its certainly too uncommon for the average Unix/Linux
>desktop user.

Yeah it is different, no doubt, but from my view better.  Sure a lot
of people might have to learn something new, but I am unsure if "easy
to use", a concept of which I am a big fan, implies that  there is
nothing new to learn at all, that systems should be super simplistic
and alike. These seem to be an impossible (former) or silly (later)
goal.  Instead I purpose that easy to use implies something like the
number of choices, information space, at any particular point in any
particular window is limited and _useful_ and that any action
undertaken by the user will be met with a reasonable  and most of all
logical behavior.  The choices in some window should be well named
and/or with descriptive icons.  My personal view is that "state based"
-my term- choices provide a greater cleanness to the interface, an
example of this is the play button and stop button sharing the same
space in itunes/rhythmbox and interchanging depending on the state of
the software. Further examples of this are littered all about OS X.  I
would also expect that an "easy to use" interface to be discoverable
by exploration. (duh) I think that the average user can learn, to
their long term benefit, if your interface is designed to guide them. 
Now the type of view I am advocating may not be the end all of
interface file browsing, and will not work for everyone, but it think
this sort of behavior is not to bracing or mysterious for the user and
could be learned, but maybe it is not learning but liking that is the
problem to which i can think of nothing to offer, except my normal
state of wonder and confusion that comes about anytime I try to
understand people.

My ultimate point is that just because something is more obscure /new
should not be a reason not to use it, but new things should be freshly
evaluated and used as need be.  Most people, I would geuss, wont be
swtiching over to linux if they are not a least a bit curious about
new things and approaches.

____

OK I am so sorry for the rant and I am not a user interface designer
but have thought / read a bit about interface design because the
theoretical problem of how to divide information for maximum uptake is
interesting.  If I am way off base or need correction, then do so,
despite my rant i want to learn-so help me?

Erik.