Re: Options and choises rant

[Riccardo]

Hello,

On Sunday, January 15, 2006, at 11:28 AM, Dennis Leeuw wrote:

> Maybe the less is more idea should be more often used. Maybe the idea 
> should be that a menu should be not longer then 10 entries, next to 
> being not deeper then 3 menus. How do others on this list view this? 
> Have other people experiences with users and how programs are percieved?

I understand your concern. I would not however change GNUMail opr other 
programs and DARE NOT make a program act in both "simple" and "advanced" 
mode. that is the most stupid thing ever done (see the auto-hiding items 
in windows menu).

I think that for your needs, a new application needs to be conceived 
from ground up, Possibly with having all the settings "set once and 
forget" and requiring only a couple of menus/buttons for daily work, in 
places clearly visible and with self-explaining names. But not thinking 
about a "dumb" user how windows and gnome approach and entangling 
everything, but more with the thought about a user "who doesn't care to 
get in the detail".

I want a remote control with a channel selector, volume control and a 
power button... and nothing more. Think of i-pod like design or, in the 
past, Agfa digital cameras (push the red button).

I think instead of my VCR remote, which has two, levels, you can open a 
first "level" and underneath you have a maze of technical buttons... the 
idea seems nice like those "simple/expert" computer interfaces, but if 
you sometimes need to access a button which is not on the first level 
(and you do sometimes, because of the design of the device is both 
advanced and easy) you get even more lost than it would be normally in 
the maze of technical, strange and unusual buttons.

my 2¢

-R