On Wed, 9 Mar 2005, Joshua A. Andler wrote:
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2005 14:52:29 -0700 From: Joshua A. Andler <joshua@...533...> To: mental@...3..., 'Alan Horkan' <horkana@...44...> Cc: inkscape-devel@lists.sourceforge.net Subject: RE: [Inkscape-devel] extensions usability
We need to rethink this approach to warning about unloaded extensions. It seems to be causing a LOT of confusion amongst
our
user community, of which the below is representative.
Can it be reduced back to a Console Warning?
Last I heard on Win32, any console warnings result in a console window popping up that users sometimes try to close -- thereby rather ungracefully killing Inkscape.
(which is probably a sign that we need to reexamine console handling there ... didn't we have some sort of console dialog in the works?)
Since I seem to help a number of Win32 users, closing of a console is the number one source of inkscape "crashing". I think that people are ok
My intention was more that it would appear to Linux users on the console (if they started from the console) and perhaps windows users would need to run inkscape --verbose to get the information at the console.
with seeing warnings and such, but it's just habit to close unused windows or windows you're done with (which is what it becomes once you've read the message).
Or for most windows users before you have read the message :)
I'm inclined to agree as well... however, there are a number of other programs that are commercial that give warnings that you need to "check the checkbox" to not show again.
I happen to find that a really bad design, but maybe it is just me.
Like most web browsers the first time they're used (you are submitting information to the internet... blah blah). The difference is the context. I think that at startup it comes across as Inkscape is broken, but as Alan said, if it were to warn at the time you try to use the functionality it would make much more sense. If I try to save as an Illustrator file, since it requires an extension, it should give the warning then... not long before that. (the perception changes to "oh, this is broken" not "Inkscape is broken")
Doing things in context also reduces the amount of relevant information and explanation you need to supply. The downside is that Administartors will often fail to install and setup software correctly if the error is not staring them in the face (but users are not likely to blame Inkscape for that). You put it better than I could. Thanks.
Sincerely
Alan Horkan