unity-design team mailing list archive

[zekopeko <zekopeko@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 1:25 PM, David Stevenson <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On 28/03/11 11:44, Vishnoo wrote:
>> We really need to collect mass user data as to how people are using
>> their application windows, at what sizes they use the app and how often
>> they are resizing.
>
> While I absolutely agree on collecting user data, I am concerned with
> the idea that we then try to find a highest common multiple and force
> everyone to use it.
>
> FOSS is about choice, not conforming to predefined norms.
>
> David

This is incorrect and I wish if that particular meme died. FOSS isn't
about choice. It is about providing source code and a set of
accompanying  freedoms to all users in the case of Free Software. The
choice one has is simply a byproduct of the availability of the source
code. It does not give the user any legal, moral or ethical right to
force the developer to provide options for some user's UI perceived
problem. In fact I believe that the whole "FOSS is about choice" meme
is damaging to providing high quality user interfaces on Linux, simply
because FOSS developers have historically been coders with little
(in)formal education in the problem of user interface design and it
was easier for them to simply add an option in the GUI every time a
design choice confronted them.

>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~ayatana
> Post to     : ayatana@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~ayatana
> More help   : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
>