Why do people dislike Dolphin?

[Dotan Cohen]

2008/11/4 nepal <nepal.roade at googlemail.com>:
> I need to clarify a couple of things not covered by the
> original brief.
>
> 1. I'm using Kubuntu 7.10
>

7.10 or 8.10? What version of KDE?

> 2. My complaint is mostly about what all my complaints are
> about modern life, form over function. do you understand
> what that means? or form before function, or form senior to
> function. D**phin is one good example.
>

Actually, Dolphin and KDE 4 are designed for function, but with form
in mind. I know that the current 4.1 is lacking on function. 4.2 will
be much, much better. In the meantime 3.5 is still supported.

>> > 3. It is cluttered and poorly thought out to look at,
>> > and merely seems like some other piece of software is
>> > being copied in order to 'stay with the gang', Instant
>> > impression was its trying to be like some well known m$
>> > software.
>>
>> I need more detail than that. Something specific.
>
> as an example it reminded me of korganiser/kcontact when it
> was given a 'side panel' ala ms outlook.
>

Specifically, what bothers you? Could you attach a screenshot
illustrating it? This is too vague. I am unfamiliar with MS Outlook.

>> > 4. Software panels that keep reconfiguring themselves
>> > after one has made setting changes is not f****ing
>> > friendly but stupid as someone else said. Years ago
>> > when I wrote software I would never do that to my
>> > users.
>>
>> Sounds like a bug. Can you please elaborate?
>
> This has already been mentioned, I change the view settings,
> move to another location, up or down and they all resume
> default settings. I want to see my files not pretty icon
> pictures.
>

This is configurable. I'm on KDE 3 at the moment, but it should not be
difficult to find under Options. If you click the toolbar button, it
does not 'stick'. If you set it in options, it does.

>> > 5. There is a perfectly good file manager called
>> > Konqueror which I have grown to love, if I want to use
>> > another filemanager, which I do occasionally, I use
>> > Krusader. I would never use D**phin and never will.
>>
>> And you have that choice! Isn't FOSS great?
>
> don't be facetious.
>

I will word it more clearly. You can continue to use Konqueror.
Distros are free to decide which file manager to make default.

>> > 6. After having D**phin installed as default and the
>> > experience of its constant rearranging of *my*
>> > settings, it is unlikely I will ever look at this bit
>> > of softare again, *EVER*.
>>
>> Wait until KDE 4.2 at least then.
>>
> I am not waiting at all. If it didn't keep coming up on this
> list I would have forgotten about it already.
>

Even better!

>> > 7. Just for good measure, its pig ugly!
>>
>> Could you be more specific? What would you change to make
>> it not pig ugly? What components do not look good to you?
>
> It reminds me of windbloes.
>

I am not familiar with windbloes. What specific details look ugly to
you? The shapes of the icons? The colours? The font?

> I would change nothing. Having read p.daniels excellent
> write up of Krusader, if konq is to disappear then I will
> go with that. I had a look at the home page as he suggested
> and there are many more features that it is capable of than
> I realised. Krusader is a great example of the opposite of
> form over function and I will most likely start using it a
> lot more than I did, seeing the way the wind seems to be
> blowing.
>

Krusader really is a great file manager. I highly recommend it,
especially for technical users like you and me. Dolphin is not for us.

> p.s. Not everyone wants the latest and greatest. I want
> something that actually will do the work and perform the
> functions that I need it to.
>

Please, whenever you find a function that you feel is missing, either
file a bug or write to the list and cc me. Thanks.

> that is the best I can do. I haven't looked at D**phin in a
> long long time and don't intend to.
>

Your comments are much appreciated.

-- 
Dotan Cohen

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