Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 01:37:54 -0600 From: "Mike Meyer" <mwm-dated-1015745876.0802ed@mired.org> To: Stuart Tanner <stuart@sigterm.com>, Carl Tucker <cft@panix.com> Cc: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: I bought your system and am not so happy! Message-ID: <15492.30162.976230.556336@guru.mired.org> In-Reply-To: <115447095@toto.iv>
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Carl Tucker <cft@panix.com> types: > On Tue, Mar 05, 2002 at 10:41:35AM +1100, Stuart Tanner wrote: > > I agree with Adam's statements, but I also think that it is > > reasonable to expect someone to at least read the section on > > installation in the Handbook. There are not many products that are > > shipped without some sort of instructions. Anyone here a pilot? > > Even my toaster came with instructions. That's so that if someone does something really stupid with the toaster, having instructions means the manufacturer can say "They didn't use it the way they were told to." This all stems from a woman who found working over an open flame to hot, so she put rubbing alcohol on her arms to cool off, and managed to win the ensuing lawsuit. I'm still trying to figure out why I saw someone was advertizing a Y2K compliant cutting board, though. > > The "intuitive" UI doesn't exists. What people mean when they talk > > about it is "familiar". Windows is easy to install because the > > processes are familiar to people. Most people, these days, hit > > FreeBSD and attempt to use their previous experience (as humans are > > wont to do in a new situation) to understand how the sysinstall > > works. Unfortunately, no amount of Windowsing is ever going to > > prepare the new user/installer/admin for sysinstall. As such, > > asking that they consult some documentation to assist their FreeBSD > > journey is not an unreasonable request. > While the line between 'intuitive' and 'familiar' is not sharp, I > think there are some things that qualify as 'intuitive'. The only thing I know of that's intuitive is sucking on a nipple at birth. Finding it isn't, though. > 'Enter' should select the highlighted selection. Tab and up/down > arrows should move from selection to selection. Escape should > back up one menu. sysinstall is unintuitive, not unfamiliar. I've > used it dozens of times, and every time I curse whoever came up with > it's menu navigation scheme. No, space should select the highlighted selection, and enter should go to the next step. The arrow keys I'll agree with. B should take you back to the previous step. At least, those are the actions *I'm* familiar with. > > If the FreeBSD community wants users to be able to draw on their > > past experience to help them with the install process then the > > installer must be designed to fit the user. The problem is that the FreeBSD install process requires the user to do things that Windows doesn't, and it *has* to do that. How happy do you think people would be if they followed their normal Windows installation process of clicking on enter, and when they were done everything on the disk was erased, or there was no way to boot back to Windows, or ... Windows ignores all those problems. Linux doesn't, but the more popular distributions try *really* hard. > > As to WIMP or no WIMP, it really doesn't matter. A well designed UI > > should adhere to some simple rules. Context. The user must know at > > all times where they are inside the application. The magic number 7 > > +or- 2. Menus or choice should be made from around 7 items. If > > there are more then they should be subdivided into categories. For > > a linear process like installation, Progress. The application > > should indicate to the user how far along they are in what they are > > doing. Unambiguous language. English is terrible for it's > > ambiguity. Correctly structured language. Never detail action > > before consequence in a dialog. Consistency. If you are going to > > put "Accept" in the lower left corner and "Cancel" in the lower > > right corner, stick to that convention. Subscribe to the libh list. That's where the UI that's going to be the heart of the new installer is being worked on. Please. Most of your ideas are very much on target, and having a good UI person at least reviewing the code would certainly help. <mike -- Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org> http://www.mired.org/home/mwm/ Independent WWW/Perforce/FreeBSD/Unix consultant, email for more information. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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