[linux-audio-dev] [OT] marketing hype

[Thorsten Wilms]

On Fri, Jun 11, 2004 at 01:59:41PM +0200, Alfons Adriaensen wrote:
> 
> I didn't. What I said was that those who complain because things
> do no look as they are used to, are in general the same people that
> just do not master the application domain itself. Those that do
> will just get on with the job.


My slider design might tell you that I'm not aiming at what I'm 
used to (which would be a problem anyway, as I use Windows 
and Linux (gnome/KDE) and sometimes Mac). I try not to blindly copy, 
but to learn from various uis and to think outside the box a bit.
 
> ... If the 'standard' says that a R-click should popup a context 
> menu, and I don not need such a menu at all, why not use that for 
> some thing else that makes sense ?

To not mess up the overall consistency? It should at least be the 
last option. Totaly different behaviour on the same gesture can be 
very confusing. For example the 3d app Blender uses rightclick for 
selection and left for placing a 3d cursor. Makes me try to select 
with leftclick in Blender when i havn't used it for a while.
And after using Blender I often find myself trying to slect in a file 
manager with rightclick. It's an extreme example, but should make 
clear that having to do a mental switch can be very problematic.


> Agreed, but that does not imply that everything done by software
> will as by magic become easy. You can always dumb it down to make
> it easy, but then very often some of the 'real function' is
> sacrified. Allowing you to play out of tune is part of the 'real
> function' of a violin. Allowing you to go beyond the conventions
> that are observed most of the time is part of the 'real function'
> of every interesting creative tool or instrument, be it real or
> software.


Usability != dumbing down, but restrictions can help with creativity, 
something I learned after switching from just a workstation keyboard 
to a pc solution. Having many different apps also means that some 
can concentrate on rather common things, while others provide more 
freedom. I like modular synths, but they can be counter productive, 
making you fiddle around, while the goal might be easily achievable 
with a fixed system.
  

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Thorsten Wilms