unity-design team mailing list archive

["balint777@xxxxxxxxx" <balint777@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Unity design,
I do think categorization here is a bad idea. On which basis do we
categorize apps? How do we know that our predefied categories will fit
everyone? Take for example Thunderbird or Empathy. They could be in a
productivity, or a messaging category also, apart from being internet
related. I coud categorize based on other things like "this app is used
at work/home/on special occasions". I may have no games/development
tools installed, and dont need a games/devtools category at all.
I do think it is best to leave that categorization to the user. And it is
done best by sorting them to pages. With that concept we could still
pre-define categories, but let the user customize them the way he wants.

Yours sincerelly, Bálint Csonka
2012/6/14 pjssilva@xxxxxxxxx <pjssilva@xxxxxxxxx>

> This is a follow up from my former e-mail. Gnome shell is getting rid
> of application categories completely:
>
> http://worldofgnome.org/gnome-shell-gets-its-first-facelift/
>
> I hope there isn't any such plans to Unity... I'll migrate my whole
> family to Unity after the next upgrade.
>
> I still hope that Unity, more specifically the Application Lens, can
> better support browsing by categories in the future.
>
> best,
>
> Paulo
>
>
> 2012/6/12 pjssilva@xxxxxxxxx <pjssilva@xxxxxxxxx>:
> > I will use the opportunity to point out one of the major problems in
> > the Dash, IMHO. IN my home I am the only one using unity, my two sons
> > and my wife use Gnome and The Dash is the reason.
> >
> > Let me explain. I thin the Dash is very good to find applications and
> > documents by searching. It is great to type two letters and get the
> > application you want, much faster than using the mouse. I love it and
> > I have already starting using such work flow with gnome-do under the
> > "old" Gnome 2 days.
> >
> > Why do I use Unity and the rest of the family doesn't? The reason is
> > that I am very different from the rest of the family. I am computer
> > literate, using computers for programming since I was 10 years old (I
> > am 39 now). I am a computer scientist. I am a typist, so I feel very
> > comfortable to use the keyboard instead of the mouse. I know all the
> > applications that are installed in our computers, so I know what to
> > search easily. In short I prefer to search rather the to browse
> > applications.
> >
> > But my two sons are young. 9 and 5 years old. They don't use the
> > keyboard to type and the youngest is illiterate. For them it is much
> > more natural to browse the installed applications, specially the
> > "Games" and "Educational" section. Right now the Dash is not good for
> > this. First when you click it, it defaults to search. Even if you
> > always move to the applications lens first, the Dash does not learn
> > this behavior and starts again in the Home lens in the next time. It
> > would be nice to be able to select the default lens in dash (or make
> > it learn your preference, which would be much nicer).
> >
> > OK, I can teach my sons to open the application lens (I did the
> > similar thing in gnome shell).
> >
> > Now the next pitfall, the application lens does not show the
> > applications categories by default, you have to open it (and even if
> > you always do, the lens will forget it once you log out and we do log
> > out in my place where we have one computer with two heads for four
> > people). So there are already two clicks before they can see the
> > categories. Now the categories in the application lens are not
> > exclusive, they behave like tags. So if you look at the education
> > section and after that want to take a break and play a game, you have
> > to first "un-select" the education category and only then select
> > games. Once again extra clicks. Another problem that generate extra
> > mouse clicks is that if the desired game is not in the first row of
> > the installed games, you need an extra click to expand all results.
> > This option is also forgotten once you log out.
> >
> > I am sorry, but the above work flow is very convoluted and complicated
> > to explain to a five year old. Let me recall it: "Click application
> > lens", "Open the category browser", "Select your category (maybe you
> > want to un-select an old category)", "Expand results", and, finally,
> > find the game you want!
> >
> > I do believe that the Dash and in particular the application lens
> > should better accommodate browsing for applications. Here are my
> > specific suggestions:
> >
> > 1) The Dash should learn that you usually prefer a specific lens and
> > open it as default.
> >
> > 2) The application lens should have the categories open by default.
> >
> > 3) The application lens should show all the results by default if the
> > option to *not* show installable applications is set.
> >
> > 3.5) If it is not possible to have the defaults in 2 or 3, the
> > application lens should recall its state between sessions. Then I
> > could do a first set up for my kids and then give then a better system
> > for their workflow.
> >
> > 4) The categories should work exclusively to allow easier browsing. If
> > you are browsing it is much more likely that you are looking at a
> > specific category than a group of two or more.
> >
> > best,
> >
> > Paulo
> >
> > 2012/6/12 shane lee <shaneymail@xxxxxxxxx>:
> >> I use Dash in the same way.
> >> Basic searching for what I want, no using of filters so the dash is
> >> really wasted for me.
> >>
> >> Since results from things like the video lens open up in a browser, I
> >> don't bother with that and just start off from the browser which is
> >> usually open anyway.
> >>
> >> For all it's bells and whistles, I use Dash EXACTLY the same way as I
> >> use KDE's Kickoff menu or the Windows start menu, both of which have
> >> remained unchanged for years.
> >>
> >> On 12 June 2012 09:35, Thorsten Wilms <t_w_@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >>> On 06/12/2012 02:09 AM, Contempo wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> http://i47.tinypic.com/xnynw9.png
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> - The circles on the right indicate the Applications page where you
> >>>> are, like Android or iOs, but scroll down.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> If a user really does scan more results that fit on one page, paging
> should
> >>> be of advantage, as I see no reason, why seeing part of the previous
> page
> >>> would help.
> >>>
> >>> Though for search-based access, I suspect that somewhere above 9
> results,
> >>> showing any further matches does more to crowd the screen, less to
> help the
> >>> user.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> - The 3 rows of lens applications would be eliminated. ('Recent
> >>>> Applications' by now would have no better use than the left-launcher.
> >>>> Why 'Installed Applications' are hidden? by showing all of those icons
> >>>> you can get a better view of what is in the system. 'Applications to
> >>>> download' is redundant with the action that meets Ubuntu Software
> >>>> Center, which performs the function of recommending applications)
> >>>>
> >>>> - The lens Applications replace the home. (The home is divided in
> >>>> three rows, the most recent elements are found in the left-launcher or
> >>>> lenses)
> >>>>
> >>>> - The window control buttons removed. (The Ubuntu button opens and
> >>>> closes the dash, full screen always keeps your attention)
> >>>>
> >>>> - Categories filters removed. (More options for subdivision
> >>>> applications only brings more complexity, to this is the search and
> >>>> quick scroll with circles)
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Personally, I use the Dash exclusively for search-based access to
> files,
> >>> folders and applications. No switching to specific lenses, no using
> Filters.
> >>> If I would want to limit results to one lense, it should be possible
> by text
> >>> entry or at least with a click close to where my pointer will be
> (which is
> >>> not the bottom of the Dash!).
> >>>
> >>> The exception where I could see myself using Filters is for music, but
> it's
> >>> questionable if those needs aren't better served by a specialized
> interface.
> >>>
> >>> Do others on the list use the Dash differently?
> >>>
> >>> Much more important: has Canonical's user testing led to any insight
> >>> regarding the depth and frequency of use of the Dash's current
> features?
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> --
> >>> Thorsten Wilms
> >>>
> >>> thorwil's design for free software:
> >>> http://thorwil.wordpress.com/
> >>>
> >>> --
> >>> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~unity-design
> >>> Post to     : unity-design@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >>> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~unity-design
> >>> More help   : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
> >>
> >> --
> >> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~unity-design
> >> Post to     : unity-design@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~unity-design
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> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Paulo José da Silva e Silva
> > Professor Associado, Dep. de Ciência da Computação
> > (Associate Professor, Computer Science Dept.)
> > Universidade de São Paulo - Brazil
> >
> > e-mail: pjssilva@xxxxxxxxxx         Web: http://www.ime.usp.br/~pjssilva
>
>
>
> --
> Paulo José da Silva e Silva
> Professor Associado, Dep. de Ciência da Computação
> (Associate Professor, Computer Science Dept.)
> Universidade de São Paulo - Brazil
>
> e-mail: pjssilva@xxxxxxxxxx         Web: http://www.ime.usp.br/~pjssilva
>
> --
> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~unity-design
> Post to     : unity-design@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~unity-design
> More help   : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
>



-- 
*Csonka Bálint* @913