Some recent changes

[Máirín Duffy]

On 10/20/2009 12:34 PM, Colin Walters wrote:
> On Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 3:54 PM, Adam Williamson <awilliam at redhat.com> wrote:
> 
>> (I've never yet come across someone
>> who hit the 'show desktop' button accidentally and curled into a fetal
>> ball, but I'm willing to be shown some :>).
> 
> I've personally seen a number of people new to the system do it, and
> Bryan Clark (former GNOME interaction designer) mentioned it as a
> problem he saw with the layout.

Folks coming from Windows are accustomed to the lower left screen area
target bringing up the 'Start' menu, and I have witnessed skilled
Windows users trying to use Fedora specifically, assuming the button
would bring up a 'Start' menu-like UI, and instead getting confused when
instead all their windows disappeared.

Moving the 'show desktop' button from the bottom left corner targeting
area would, for that reason alone, make it easier for Windows immigrants
to deal with our desktop. I believe the 'Start' menu is many Windows
users' primary method to launch applications, so I think a significant
portion of Windows users trying out Fedora would hit the 'Show Desktop'
button in error.

While it doesn't involve a show desktop button, there is a usability
report and associated usability videos testing the SuSE desktop that
reports users do feel disoriented and dislike when all of their windows
disappear off the desktop:

http://www.betterdesktop.org/welcome/reports/report-use-window-picker.html

FWIW 'Show desktop' has been a critical piece of functionality for my
own workflow for many years, even back when Windows was my primary
desktop. Even so, I think it is not a feature appreciated by folks new
to our desktop, especially from other operating systems. As a big fan of
the feature, I am perfectly happy with it being a one-time right-click +
add to panel affair to add it back, especially if it means an easy
improvement in convertees' first-experiences with Fedora.

I'd rather not make any remarks on the timing of the change, though.

~m