Some of these are humbling. They reinforce how disconnected I-- a programmer-- am from the average person.
> P1 recovered amazingly well after trying to save "Letter to Mr Smith 08/04/11", and getting the vile response "Error stating file '/home/ubuntu/Documents/Letter to Mr Smith 08/04': No such file or directory"
That's something I'd never consider, what with various directory separators baked into my subconscious.
Windows (certainly 7) handles this perfectly well - try and type a character that isn't allowed in a file name and it pops up a tool tip saying it isn't allowed, along with a quick list of other characters that are disallowed. It also throws that key press away, so it doesn't have to be deleted and can't cause another kind of issue.
This is the difference between products which have undergone long rounds of user testing and ones that haven't. For me this is one of the biggest issues facing Linux based operating systems today, because this is generally not an itch that people working on the project feel like scratching (see: design, documentation, etc.) With commercially backed projects like Ubuntu, it can get there over time, but I would look at a user testing result summary like this and say "we have a LONG way to go" if it was a product that I was leading.
Because we need to identity directory markings. Its as simple as that, we could use *, but then you couldn't put that in a Linux file name. Whatever character is used to separate Directories, is going to have to be disallowed in file names, understanding that basic concept and why it can never be fixed, will take you a few hows of research in bassic operating system file manipulation.
Yes, I thought the same thing! Really shows the value of running tests with people with other backgrounds.
Just for fun I tried saving a document in Microsoft Office 2007 here with a filename containing slashes. I got a slightly better response: "Ogiltigt filnamn" (Illegal filename). Not as confusing, but still no help at all on what was wrong with it or how to correct it.
I just tried the same on the Mac (in TextEdit). If you start with a slash, you get a 'go to directory' dialog. If you enter a slash later in the filename, it saves with a slash in the filename. The 'magic' is that it actually uses colons, which are shown as slashes in the UI. If you try to enter a colon in the filename, it replaces it with a dash. Renaming a file in finder to use a colon, gives a message similar to your 'Illegal filename'.
My father once asked for my help because his computer (Windows, either 2000 or XP) told him he was doing something "illegal" and he was worried he was breaking the law.
Yes, it really shows the disconnect between programmers and users. But to me this write-up also shows that there can't be a one-size-fits-all user interface. If the interface would be changed to conform better with the mental model of these users, surely it will conflict in some ways with the model of more experienced users. That's why the choice of window managers is great IMO.
>If the interface would be changed to conform better with the mental model of these users, surely it will conflict in some ways with the model of more experienced users.
I think it's tough to do, but certainly doable. What was outlined in the OP is just basic confusion amongst novices. Something that can easily be improved upon without hurting the experience for 'senior' users. I imagine this is how Mac does it. They throw their software up against the shores of a million and one newbies and iterate until they have a product that they are happy with. Testing is an integral component of UI design & creation, and from the looks of it, Ubuntu is slacking.
Comments
Some of these are humbling. They reinforce how disconnected I-- a programmer-- am from the average person.
> P1 recovered amazingly well after trying to save "Letter to Mr Smith 08/04/11", and getting the vile response "Error stating file '/home/ubuntu/Documents/Letter to Mr Smith 08/04': No such file or directory"
That's something I'd never consider, what with various directory separators baked into my subconscious.
Windows (certainly 7) handles this perfectly well - try and type a character that isn't allowed in a file name and it pops up a tool tip saying it isn't allowed, along with a quick list of other characters that are disallowed. It also throws that key press away, so it doesn't have to be deleted and can't cause another kind of issue.
This is the difference between products which have undergone long rounds of user testing and ones that haven't. For me this is one of the biggest issues facing Linux based operating systems today, because this is generally not an itch that people working on the project feel like scratching (see: design, documentation, etc.) With commercially backed projects like Ubuntu, it can get there over time, but I would look at a user testing result summary like this and say "we have a LONG way to go" if it was a product that I was leading.
> [...] it pops up a tool tip saying it isn't allowed, along with a quick list of other characters that are disallowed.
That still leaves me a little ashamed on behalf of the industry. Why should any characters be disallowed?
Because we need to identity directory markings. Its as simple as that, we could use *, but then you couldn't put that in a Linux file name. Whatever character is used to separate Directories, is going to have to be disallowed in file names, understanding that basic concept and why it can never be fixed, will take you a few hows of research in bassic operating system file manipulation.
I appreciated the 'vile' comment very much -- this tester cares!!
Yes, I thought the same thing! Really shows the value of running tests with people with other backgrounds.
Just for fun I tried saving a document in Microsoft Office 2007 here with a filename containing slashes. I got a slightly better response: "Ogiltigt filnamn" (Illegal filename). Not as confusing, but still no help at all on what was wrong with it or how to correct it.
I just tried the same on the Mac (in TextEdit). If you start with a slash, you get a 'go to directory' dialog. If you enter a slash later in the filename, it saves with a slash in the filename. The 'magic' is that it actually uses colons, which are shown as slashes in the UI. If you try to enter a colon in the filename, it replaces it with a dash. Renaming a file in finder to use a colon, gives a message similar to your 'Illegal filename'.
Wow - I didn't know about that / on the Mac. You, sir, have just saved me three key presses on probably 75% of both my save And open windows...
My father once asked for my help because his computer (Windows, either 2000 or XP) told him he was doing something "illegal" and he was worried he was breaking the law.
I laughed for 12 minutes at that because my mother did the same thing.
Yes, it really shows the disconnect between programmers and users. But to me this write-up also shows that there can't be a one-size-fits-all user interface. If the interface would be changed to conform better with the mental model of these users, surely it will conflict in some ways with the model of more experienced users. That's why the choice of window managers is great IMO.
>If the interface would be changed to conform better with the mental model of these users, surely it will conflict in some ways with the model of more experienced users.
I think it's tough to do, but certainly doable. What was outlined in the OP is just basic confusion amongst novices. Something that can easily be improved upon without hurting the experience for 'senior' users. I imagine this is how Mac does it. They throw their software up against the shores of a million and one newbies and iterate until they have a product that they are happy with. Testing is an integral component of UI design & creation, and from the looks of it, Ubuntu is slacking.