I think a perfect but simple aproach would be the one firefox has taken. The basic browser has the main proferences/features needed in a browser, if you need something else you can use the extensions interface to code it. I believe some apps in gnome already have a similar way of doing this with the use of python interfaces & building python extensions for that interfaces (gedit 2.13 has this & maybe others). Choosing a high level language like python makes it more simple to create this extensions so I think it's the way to go. If a dev thinks a feature is useful but not apropiate for n00bs he could code it as a python extension & not include it by default. The power user would know how to add this feature to the app & start using it. If every gnome dev agreed on this eventually every part of gnome could be extensible for the power user & still remain easy to use on a default installation for n00bs. my 2€ <div>On 12/16/05, Michael Shigorin <<a href="mailto:mike@osdn.org.ua">mike@osdn.org.ua</a>> wrote:<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> On Thu, Dec 15, 2005 at 09:03:55PM +0000, Martin J Hooper wrote: > Same here - I use mostly KDE when I use Linux.  Having tried > Gnome I find that it is not as configurable as I would like. Maybe someone tells the GNOME usability kids the magic keywords "user level"?  It's powerful approach invented quite long ago (New Deal's GeoWorks AFAIR) which could resolve this knot. It could be like, a single setting (maybe even not doable via GUI at its default "n00b" level, just CLI or after e.g. a year of successful progress with a system) which would allow for the "Advanced..." button to appear at the next level where it's appropriate, and just stick e.g. another tab into dialogs at yet higher level. This way, developers wouldn't have to live in flame ghetto for that matter, being able to use proper features but not overwhelm corporate users vendors care for (and hobby developers should not have this requirement as a *must* IMHO). PS: maybe I've already tried to communicate this message here (not willing to get onto yet another list for just that matter)... -- ---- WBR, Michael Shigorin <<a href="mailto:mike@altlinux.ru">mike@altlinux.ru </a>>   ------ Linux.Kiev <a href="http://www.linux.kiev.ua/">http://www.linux.kiev.ua/</a> -- sounder mailing list <a href="mailto:sounder@lists.ubuntu.com">sounder@lists.ubuntu.com</a> <a href="http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/sounder"> http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/sounder</a> </blockquote></div>