-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Abandon "Default Desktop"
From: Jeff Spaleta <jspaleta@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Development discussions related to Fedora <fedora-devel-list@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 05/05/2009 02:57 PM
The underlying issue is how to expose choice. And its a really really
tough issue from a user experience and interface design perspective.
I don't think anyone has a really good handle on how to do that for
the website yet. I can't easily dismiss out of hand the statements
that the website was redesigned to minimize confusion. I wasn't
confused, but I live in the %0.1 technically literate tail of the
general population...my personal experience is by definition
abnormal..quite possible not even categorized has a human experience
at all. I don't know what the best answer is for the website. I'd
love to throw a team of UI experts into a room..lock the door...video
tape the discussion..and then not let them out until the come to
consensus on how to handle the website spin choice interface...and
then we all just live with the result of their consensus opinion.
It sounds like you need to break down the choice based on the type of
people making it.
1) Uninformed public
Choice: "I'm a newbie, what's Linux?"
2) Informed public
Choice: "I know what Gnome and KDE are."
3) Technical person
Choice: "I know how to compile a shell."
Based on experience level you could create a web site that points you to
the correct install DVD for you.
Group 1:
"I want something like Windows" - KDE spin
"... Apple" - Gnome spin
Group 2:
"I know what I want" - show all spins
Group 3:
Doesn't need any help, they already bookmarked the torrent page, or are
using yum/PackageKit to update.
Now I think there might be more hope for the idea of re-engineering
comps such that on user selection of DE sets a better set of default
package selections in the DVD installer. Sadly I don't know enough
about comps conditionals to make a strongly informed statement or to
build a toy comps that demonstrates it in action.
Instead of torrenting DVD ISOs we should be torrenting the packages
themselves. The website could build your customized OS and send you a
torrent link that would build you a install DVD just for you.
You could tie *all* this together with a username/password so that
people could remember the previous install sets and share them with
friends. This could be Fedora FAS so that people could start interacting
with the mailing lists, bug reporting, and maybe even QA.
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