Fwd: Re: [imp] Attachment interface confusing to users

[Chuck Hagenbuch]

I think this was meant for the list. For what it's worth, the context-
specific help works perfectly for me in HEAD. In this very window that I'm 
writing the message in, in fact. If it doesn't work for you, then you 
probably have a bad language preference set.

----- Forwarded message from eric.rostetter@physics.utexas.edu -----
    Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2002 23:32:15 -0500
    From: Eric Rostetter <eric.rostetter@physics.utexas.edu>
Reply-To: Eric Rostetter <eric.rostetter@physics.utexas.edu>
 Subject: Re: [imp] Attachment interface confusing to users
      To: Chuck Hagenbuch <chuck@horde.org>

Quoting Chuck Hagenbuch <chuck@horde.org>:

> All of these, at a glance, rip out things that are essential (Expand 
> Names), or that should be there (the help, which does indeed work fine), 

I agree with Chuck about not removing these things.  But I also noted that
in my HEAD version help did not work "right."  However, it not working right
just means it should be fixed, not removed.

> and most look a lot less intuitive to me than the current model. Just 
> making things smaller isn't necessarily a good thing.

I think he had some good ideas, and it could lead to a longer discussion
on things.  But I agree on not removing stuff, just rearranging stuff.

I think we might benefit if enough people participate in this discussion.
Previous discussions about this (in particular about the "attachments"
button never went anywhere, and no one ever put any work into it.  
I'm encouraged that someone actually spent time and effort in trying
something new.  It might benefit us to follow this one for a while.

Again, I disagree with removing help/expandnames, but I'm not sure about
the rest of the changes either.  But I really do think the "attachments"
button is a real issue, and the fact that this has come up before makes
me think changes should be considered...

> -chuck

-- 
Eric Rostetter
The Department of Physics
The University of Texas at Austin

"TAD (Technology Attachment Disorder) is an unshakable, impractical devotion
to a brand, platform, product line, or programming language. It's relatively
harmless among the rank and file, but when management is afflicted the 
damage
can be measured in dollars. It's also contagious -- someone with sufficient
political clout can infect an entire organization."

--"Enterprise Strategies" columnist Tom Yager.

----- End forwarded message -----


-chuck

--
Charles Hagenbuch, <chuck@horde.org>
"What was and what may be, lie, like children whose faces we cannot see, in 
the arms of silence. All we ever have is here, now." - Ursula K. Le Guin