On Tue, 18 Nov 2003, S Woodside wrote: > >> Apple's HI guidelines are quite specific that configuration choices > >> should be made, whenever possible, by the programmer and not by the > >> user. The whole point is that we as software designers are the ones > >> who should make the difficult decisions of what works and what > >> doesn't.
> > Apple's HIG says: > > > > "Allow the user, not the computer, to initiate and control actions. > > Some applications attempt to take care of the user by offering only > > alternatives judged good for the user or that protect the user from > > having to make detailed decisions. This approach mistakenly puts the > > computer, not the user, in control." > > > > and > > > > "The key is to create a balance between providing users with the > > capabilities they need to get their work done and helping them avoid > > dangerous irreversible actions." > "To reduce the complexity of your application, make decisions about > which features to implement as preferences based on what your users > really need. The key is to implement as preferences only those features > that your users find useful. In other words, avoid creating one large > window with all the preferences you can think of. Instead, eliminate > the settings that are special cases of a behavior or an attribute and > build in flexible features as a part of your application." It would seem your programming skills are considerably better than your reading comprehension skills. The HIG passage you posted *reinforces* the one I posted, it does not refute it and it certainly does not support your assertion that "configuration choices should be made, whenever possible, by the programmer and not by the user [...] software designers are the ones who should make the difficult decisions of what works and what doesn't." Or, alternatively, perhaps your reading comprehension is OK and you're simply making improper use of the HIG passage you posted to rationalize a belief that your guesses and opinions are predictive of the preferences of users in general. Which is it, please? Thanks, DS _______________________________________________ Camino mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mozdev.org/mailman/listinfo/camino
