[ubuntu-art] next meeting

[Webmaster, Jhnet.co.uk]

"It also encourages an idea of keeping processes running even when windows
are closed, which is really the only feature necessary to be as "intutive"
as the OSX dock."

This is a feature that I know some people find valuable (especially for
things like media players, downloads and what-not but for every day use (and
more relevantly for users who don't really understand whats going on - i.e.
they are just pressing buttons that just so happen to make their computer
print letters) and adding this particular feature will lead to confusion.

On the other hand a simple way to send programs to the system tray (i have a
feeling this is something KDE did back in KDE2) would be a useful feature if
integrated intuitively, especially as it would give the same functionality
but without the confusion for those who don't want/understand it.

Just recently I have noticed a lot of features that people have been
mentioning as functionality ides which have been around in KDE for a while
(or since the start). While KDE4 has dropped some of these features
(temporarily while the libraries are re-written) it might be worth some of
the people with ideas for better integration of these features consider
looking at the Kubuntu project (which really is in dire need of a bit of TLC
with regards to the trademark-ubuntu-polish as it were.) If Kubuntu can be
brought up to scratch with regards to its usability then it may just mean
ubuntu may look at KDE.

Either way all this is probably not best left in an artwork list. It should
really be brought up in a development and design list, especially given that
the changes here would not be just changes in visual appearance but
significant (or insignificant) reworking/writing of programs.

On 09/02/2008, Piotr Zaryk <oponek at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> I only wanted to suggest you to look at this:
> http://architectfantasy.com/?p=1
> http://architectfantasy.com/?p=25
>
> I think that you should disscuss it, too.
>
> 2008/2/9, Dylan McCall <dylanmccall at gmail.com>:
> >
> > (Should have changed topic title when we had the chance...)
> >
> > A little applet I have been working on (very slowly) is designed to
> > separate the idea of a window and the process that creates it, as the two
> > concepts should be. It is effectively a fancy window switcher, but the magic
> > is with an idea that each window is grouped with its parent process. This
> > means we can get the one (and only) intuitive behaviour that people see with
> > MacOS's unified menu bar (where Preferences, Quit, etc. are all under a menu
> > for the *program*). It also encourages an idea of keeping processes
> > running even when windows are closed, which is really the only feature
> > necessary to be as "intutive" as the OSX dock.
> >
> > Launchers, in this case, are irrelevent -- especially when we consider
> > the very stable nature of the ideal Linux system, which certainly does not
> > necessitate restarting the computer very often. The idea is that processes
> > can keep running quietly, providing services (for example fancy d-bus
> > stuff!) without intruding, and without their presence being invisible to the
> > user. In this way, one *needn't *navigate the menu to open Epiphany the
> > hundredth time in a session, because the browser provides some little
> > callbacks for its process icon in the new application list applet as one of
> > its functions not tied to windows. (One callback being to the left click
> > function, which triggers it to open a new window!).
> >
> >
> > Bye,
> > --Dylan McCall
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Feb 8, 2008 at 11:45 AM, Álvaro Medina Ballester <
> > xlasttrainhomex at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Thinking about the idea of merging window selector and app launcher...
> > > imagine that theoric bar (let's call it uBar), you have firefox, evolution,
> > > mplayer and vlc running. Firefox is your most used browser, evolution _is
> > > not_ your most used mail client and vlc is your most used video player. If
> > > you click on browser, mail or video section, that bar _should not_ open
> > > another window, should execute Exposé (on Mac OS X, I think it's window
> > > selector on compiz-fusion) but just showing windows of the category you've
> > > clicked on.
> > >
> > > So we have one click app launcher and one click window selector. And
> > > you don't have to look in a lot of windows because you show windows
> > > depending on the category. I think that this would solve that problems with
> > > simplicity in a user-friendly intuitive way and we can make it eye candy
> > > too!
> > >
> > > 2008/2/8, Álvaro Medina Ballester <xlasttrainhomex at gmail.com>:
> > >
> > > > Hi everybody!
> > > >
> > > > I was wondering how could be that app launcher and this is my point
> > > > of view:
> > > >
> > > > First of all, I think that having a KDE/Windows menu is unusable.
> > > > Why? you need several clicks to open recent apps so if you use an aplication
> > > > frequently it slows your workflow. Mac OS X bar is a good approach, but it
> > > > still can be optimized. How? instead of having icons with apps we can have
> > > > sections (browsers, file managers, media players...) and one icon
> > > > representing each section. One click in that icon (for example, internet
> > > > browsers) would open the most used browser and holding click into that
> > > > section would show something like Leopard stacks with all the browsers. Then
> > > > if you release the mouse button over any browser it should be opened.
> > > >
> > > > I'm sure that this idea can be improved, but what do you think about
> > > > it? it think that it would provide a great way to open/browse your
> > > > applications.
> > > >
> > > > Cheers.
> > > >
> > > > 2008/2/8, Andrew Laignel <a.laignel at ukdotcafe.com>:
> > > > >
> > > > > Sumit Chandra Agarwal wrote:
> > > > > > I do like this idea very much, but I think there would be a lot
> > > > > of
> > > > > > resistance to it as I think people like having their desktop as
> > > > > a junk
> > > > > > store.
> > > > > > Or maybe they're just too used to the idea.
> > > > > > But it gets a thumbs-up from me! Its mildly annoying to me that
> > > > > > Firefox/etc don't use the home folder or home/downloads as the
> > > > > default
> > > > > > save to.
> > > > > >
> > > > > If you think about it files should go in /home/ and nowhere else.
> > > > > Storing them on the desktop is about as sensible as storing them
> > > > > in the
> > > > > system tray.  It's only the colossal weight of history behind the
> > > > > whole
> > > > > 'save to your desktop' thing.  It just means you have more places
> > > > > to
> > > > > check when looking for things.
> > > > >
> > > > > A solution may be to treat the desktop as /home/ - so it is the
> > > > > same
> > > > > place - only by default do not show any icons or
> > > > > folders.  Clicking the
> > > > > Home Folder Icon will display in the gap to the RHS a box with the
> > > > > files/folders that is navigable.  If it loses focus, or you click
> > > > > the
> > > > > icon again, it would disappear.  Dropping files on the desktop
> > > > > would
> > > > > copy them to /home/
> > > > >
> > > > > While on the subject someone mentioned splitting files and folders
> > > > > distinctly, IE put the rows of folders at the top of the window, a
> > > > > small
> > > > > gap, then the files.  This would help people differentiate between
> > > > > whats
> > > > > in a folder, and other folders.
> > > > >
> > > > > Webmaster, Jhnet.co.uk <http://jhnet.co.uk/> wrote:
> > > > > > The proposition of a new menu is a good idea however I do not
> > > > > like the
> > > > > > menus that people are coming out with that work like the
> > > > > > SuSE/KDE4/Vista menus - how is it possibly a good idea to 1)
> > > > > Have a
> > > > > > programs list that *SCROLLS*, 2) Have all the programs at the
> > > > > top of
> > > > > > the menu (when you open the menu by clicking something
> > > > > underneath it).
> > > > > I think the main menu bar needs to go at the bottom, otherwise it
> > > > > makes
> > > > > it harder to deal with the full screen windows.  I don't think
> > > > > inversely
> > > > > sorting it is a good idea either so that little extra mouse
> > > > > movement I
> > > > > think may be unavoidable.  :)
> > > > > > Sure we need a better system but whatever is invented should not
> > > > > be a
> > > > > > traditional pop up menu. What would probably be a very good idea
> > > > > is a
> > > > > > task bar widget that displays your most frequently used/last
> > > > > used
> > > > > > programs as shortcut icons next to the traditional menus. This
> > > > > means
> > > > > > that it is accessible to newcomers because they don't need to
> > > > > actively
> > > > > > do something to put the icons there, adds the functionality of a
> > > > > > recently used list (which KDE has had for eons), but most
> > > > > importantly
> > > > > > it gives *single click* access to programs!
> > > > > That may work.  Firefox + Thunderbird are 'pinned' - maybe pinned
> > > > > software should display as icons on the quicklaunch - so anything
> > > > > you
> > > > > use regularly = 1 click.  Say the top 5 items on the recent list
> > > > > display
> > > > > as icons in the quicklaunch.  This may confuse people as they
> > > > > would
> > > > > change without user intervention so maybe pinned only is best?
> > > > >
> > > > > Travis Watkins wrote:
> > > > > > Actually, the desktop effectively does not exist exactly because
> > > > > it is
> > > > > > covered almost all the time. This is probably why people don't
> > > > > worry
> > > > > > about using it as a junk store, they never see it unless they're
> > > > > > diving in there to get something anyway. Kind of like the junk
> > > > > drawer
> > > > > > on your real desk. :)
> > > > > >
> > > > > It's more like leaving junk on your desk when you should put it in
> > > > > your
> > > > > drawer, to the point your desk just becomes another storage area
> > > > > (bad)
> > > > > instead of a useful place for doing tasks (good).  Can't find you
> > > > > phone
> > > > > because of all the crap on your desk?  It's the same thing.
> > > > >
> > > > > My point is that the desktop should be used more as a form of UI,
> > > > > not as
> > > > > yet another place to store files. By mixing app launchers,
> > > > > shortcuts and
> > > > > files on the desktop you confuse people about what does
> > > > > what.  Generally
> > > > > if someone has a desktop covered with crap its because they don't
> > > > > understand the computer well enough to know that they should keep
> > > > > it in
> > > > > /home/.  Forcing good practice isn't really a bad idea.
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > ubuntu-art mailing list
> > > > > ubuntu-art at lists.ubuntu.com
> > > > > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-art
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Álvaro.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Álvaro.
> > > --
> > > ubuntu-art mailing list
> > > ubuntu-art at lists.ubuntu.com
> > > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-art
> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> > ubuntu-art mailing list
> > ubuntu-art at lists.ubuntu.com
> > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-art
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Regards,
> Zaryk
> --
> ubuntu-art mailing list
> ubuntu-art at lists.ubuntu.com
> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-art
>
>
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