System Notification and Usabililty in KDE
Various KDE 1.-4. Improvements
Source (link to git-repo or to original if based on someone elses unmodified work): Add the source-code for this project on opencode.net
With the KDE 4 branch in development, there is a lot of buzz over usability lately.
Using the current "logout" fading effect, I've created an intelligent way of informing users about security/system notifications of importance.
This is just an idea, but I feel that people are still ignoring important icons or notificatioins important for keeping your system up-to-date and secure.
If you would like to read my full idea and write-up about this, including screen shots, please visit my website or go straight to the article:
http://www.breathedeeply.com/usability.html
Peace. Love. KDE Everywhere! :)
Support-Box
System Notification and Usabililty in KDE is part of KDE Themes and Content, which is supported by the following people:
Other Various KDE 1.-4. Improvements:
scroogie
15 years ago
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VectoR
15 years ago
Under development: send/recevie user messages on local network, news reader...
Screenshots:
http://www.blackpanther.hu/modules/xcgal/thumbnails.php?album=26&page=2
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warrob
15 years ago
p.s. good icons, do you have a link for them?
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sparxxxie
15 years ago
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Corven
15 years ago
My only concern would be that the feature is disabled by default configuration, in case of the user having lesser-efficient drivers and/or software-based acceleration.
And I'm not directing this as you, sparxxxie - Merely stating that until even lower-level hardware can actually pull off simple GL animations like this in movie-like grace that so many of us expect, it's going to unnerve the senses.
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soxofaan
15 years ago
They get in your way when you don't need them
(mainly at startup, when you just want to get something done)
and you can't access or regenerate them when you need them and they're gone
(e.g. when you have some time to fix something).
Also chech law 8 of the Laws of Interface Design
by Jason Spisak at http://www.symphonyos.com/laws.html
(the other laws are interesting too).
Another reason why I think copying the windows way
of messing with the user/computer is a bad idea:
important system notifications are meant for the root user,
while the regular linux/kde user is (should be) non root.
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sparxxxie
15 years ago
of messing with the user/computer is a bad idea:
important system notifications are meant for the root user,
while the regular linux/kde user is (should be) non root."
So you're implying that everyone is knowledgeable to have a root user/system admin?
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sparxxxie
15 years ago
I also agree that the system messages should be only for root users. *BUT*, instead of saying "this is how it SHOULD be", I'm merely saying this would work better than the current implementation. SuSE watcher loads for users, not only root.
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lenooh
15 years ago
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scroogie
15 years ago
Thats the point. I absolutely agree on this. As a student of computer science i get called regularly to help out with the computers of friends, and i often experienced this behaviour. Its the same with Virus Updates, Firewall Messages, etc. We also have to face that these users will in most cases NOT read longer system messages, or even help texts. I think the way windows handles this is the wrong path, because the messages just look like any other unimportant text. But of course, if you design new ways to notify the user, it must not be nagging advanced users and there must be the possibility to turn everything off.
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mokuias
15 years ago
Nevertheless, you got my support. :-)
I'd be happy to help out if necessary (art skills).
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pregopresto
15 years ago
Jan :)
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sparxxxie
15 years ago
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