On Tue, 8 Oct 2002, at 1:59am, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >> First, I agree with you,. Removing options just for the sake of >> dumbing-down the UI is, well, dumb. > > The GNOME developers don't agree...
Is there a URL to information on this stated goal of eliminating features? I am curious to learn more about it. >> I have seen user levels implemented in only two places: Once was the >> venerable GeoWorks (nee PC/GEOS) GUI for MS-DOS. The other is in the >> "Nautilus" system browser. > > If this ever did exist in Nautilus, it's been removed. Well, it exists in every version I have seen. Likely, it was lost with GNOME 2.0, which is a complete re-write of almost everything. Whether it will be added back in is, apparently, in some doubt. > Actually another place this existed is in the Sawfish WM. Oh yeah. I forgot about that. >> Lastly: Many corporations do, in fact, consider removing options to be >> an advantage. Why? It decreases training costs. > > I wonder how true that is, in practice. ... a corporate computer training > class ... only cover[s] the (extreme) basics anyway... Ah, but the options still exist, which means someone will find them, (mis)use them, and break them, and call in the techies to fix it. I'm not talking about end-user training; I'm talking about the training costs of the support and administration staff. One of the reasons MS-Windows is so popular in corporations is that it lets people who should not be administrating a network administrate a network. The barrier to entry is lower. This lets them hire less experienced people with lower salary requirements. Of course, it also leads to many Windows networks being a disaster waiting to happen. Or, more accurately, a disaster that does happen, repeatedly. This syndrome saves the company money in the short term, but costs them more in the long term. Unfortunately, corporations (in this country, at least) have a history of sacrificing long-term success for short-term profit. > Corporations are the ones that make software sales profitable, by and > large, so the actual users of the software suffer. True. Unfortunately, recognizing that the situation is unsatisfactory does not automatically cause it to improve. :-( -- Ben Scott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> | The opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do not | | necessarily represent the views or policy of any other person, entity or | | organization. All information is provided without warranty of any kind. | _______________________________________________ gnhlug-discuss mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss
