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Re: [Ayatana] New style of Minimize button for Natty



Pointing a minimize button at the left dock further highlights that in its current form Unity has taken away layout options for me, a humble end user.

If I could disable the new dock entirely, I would rely on something more customizable like AWN and put it wherever I actually wanted it. I don't actually like any docks at all, but now my personal one-panel-no-dock scheme is ~deprecated~ by Unity in Unity's current form, and it seems a dock is now required. I hope that is a bug and not a permanent anti-pattern.

Moreover, the Ubuntu "Classic" session in Natty does not work with all applets that I ~prefer~ to use for the desktop layout that ~I~ want (e.g., the Talika window switcher is fundamental to my layout, but breaks Natty Classic).

Unity has to become ~at least~ as customizable as Gnome 2.x or it is not a productive environment for ~me~. Moreover, taking time to learn new paradigms more appropriate for handheld devices than my laptop (and new buzzword terminology) may amuse designers, but it is a distraction for me.

I don't know if I am the mythical "normal" user or not but I am an end user nonetheless, and I don't much care for designers handing down usage pattern mandates to me from the hipster tower. Gnome's historical reputation for taking away choice may well be eclipsed by Unity if some fundamental things do not become optional rather than mandated. Among other oddities, why does Mark Shuttleworth care where I place a trash icon?

If you think you're making something for the average user, ask yourself if the average user would even be signed up to this list.