On 09/06/08 22:12, Albert Roy wrote:
> Hi All,
>
>
> I am a semi literate computer user who is working to promote FOSS
> alternatives to proprietary solutions. I use PcLinuxOs and Ubuntu as
> they are the most user friendly distributions and I am able to serve
> much of my computing needs with these FOSS solutions. I find my
> ability to convince those with less knowledge then me to follow
> hampered by seemingly unimportant stuff.
>
> One such difficulty is the absence of a tick box in Gnome preventing
> users from accidentally sliding panels around. Its absence makes it
> impossible to set up Ubuntu for non technical users. I frequently find
> myself dragging panels around by accident, to me they are just an
> irritant but to less interested computer users it means that the
> computer is broken. I am being called on to fix the computers of
> family members who are serving as Ubuntu usability guinea pigs,
> telling them to drag the panel back into place is to much of a
> technical challenge. They just do not care about computers and they
> are resisting any attempts I make to get them to understand a tiny bit
> more about the tools they are using. Gnome being "almost there" in the
> usability stakes does not cut it with this unsympathetic crowd.
>
> I am passing this observation on to you so that you can pass it up the
> command chain. It is a marketing problem that can easily be solved. (
> I am now in the process of installing Pessulus but a "lock panel
> position" tick box in the panel properties page, is what is really
> needed.)
>
>
> Yours
>
> Albert Roy
>
>
Thank you for your contribution Albert.
I confess that when I read your email, I remembered a 'lock' option in
the preferences, but I don't see it there, so perhaps my mind is playing
tricks on me.
I would also point out that the panels are just as mobile in the other
operating system that uses it, Windows.
So, yes, I share your frustration that new users get themselves into all
manner of problems, but then that's why they are new users.
Said in another way. If you give someone a push-bike and they have never
learnt to ride it, they're going to fall off, scrape their knees and if
the desire is high enough, learn to ride.
Computing is pretty similar and most times you don't scrape your knees.
Finally, if you feel that strongly about it, you might consider that
Ubuntu takes its software mostly from Debian, who in turn take it mostly
from the developers who make the software. So, you can do a number of
things:
* You could add a bug to launchpad, but I don't know how successful
you will be in getting it resolved.
* You could look for discussions with the gnome developers on the
subject and see what they decided.
* You could also log a bug with gnome.
As the vast majority of FOSS contributors and developers are volunteers,
there needs to be a point at which there is interest in resolving issues
as they arise.
I wish you well in your quest to achieve what you are asking for, but
personally I think your observation is valid, your solution is not.
--
Onno Benschop
Connected via Optus B3 at S31°54'06" - E115°50'39" (Yokine, WA)
--
()/)/)() ..ASCII for Onno..
|>>? ..EBCDIC for Onno..
--- -. -. --- ..Morse for Onno..
ITmaze - ABN: 56 178 057 063 - ph: 04 1219 8888 - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
--
ubuntu-marketing mailing list
[email protected]
Modify settings or unsubscribe at:
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-marketing
