[haiku-development] Re: About $application
- From: "Curtis Wanner" <katisu@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <haiku-development@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2007 09:39:05 -0400
Humdinger wrote:
>This information could become quite extensive... The help/tutorial files
would be the
>right place for that IMO.
The argument against this is it would take too long to find the information.
Most users would then end up wasting time to see if the program can do what
they want to do. Also it shouldn't be lengthy documentation to explain what
a program is and it's most basic features. It would just be an overview so
that user can quickly understand what exactly the program is about. More
detailed information (like actual steps, etc) would be in the Help/Tutorial
files.
>Links to these things shouldn't be in the About window, but
>deserve their own menu entry.
Basically the argument is about what an "About" Window really should be. I
would argue the other information should be a separate menu entry like
Credits, Support, Identity Information or even Copyright.
>There are three things why I have looked into the "About..." of a
>program before: The version/date of an app to see if I'm still up to date,
the URL of the
>project/vendor and contact information.
>I'm not sure about a "Check for updates"-Button beside the version number,
but I'm all for
>a clickable link of the URL to open the browser or the mail app with the
contact address
>(and optionally an app-provided subject line).
The usage behavior you describe sounds more like finding support information
than it does finding out about the application.
>Since the About window is a place for coders of an open source project to
get public
>recognition, I don't think that part should be stripped.
This is exactly what I'm getting at. Sure the coders should get public
recognition, but in an "About Application" window?? Does that really make
sense??
The only reason it might make sense is because it's been done so in the
past. Does that really make it valid?
>The copyright thing may be a legal issue, IANAL. In any way, it's an easy
way to see who's
>the vendor.
I'm not really proposing the existing About Window really be gotten rid of,
but should be called something else with it's own menu entry.
Anyway, don't want to beat on this too much. I just felt it important to
express the idea that the way "About Windows" are currently being used is
quite archaic and a better usage pattern has been recommended.
Curtis
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