SEUL: Re: DRAFT: End-User Application Comparisons

[Roger Dingledine <arma@mit.edu>]

I forgot to include "html editors" in the original list. (Should
I include this? Bob had problems with this before.)

> - games

Everybody I've shown the list to points this out. But look at
www.linuxgames.com. I think they've got this topic covered, better than we
could. Hm..should I put a comment somewhere saying "games isn't on this
list, we know"?

> - instant messaging

Good point. This is probably something that "end users" do a lot of.
Pete suggested irc clients, but I wanted to avoid starting an irc client
war among the hack3r d00dz. (I also am unconvinced that irc is an end-user
activity. :)

> - knowledge base/expert system tools

Is this really a typical use for a computer? Feels like if I put this
in, I've got to put in "graphing tools" and other special-case activities.
 
> It could be also interesting approach not to dissolve
> the feature Unix-like system are good at:
>  - the ability to make a what-ever-you-want by combining single-task tools
 
This is an extremely powerful feature, but it's not a mindset we can
expect (new) end-users to have. Their goal is to use the packages
provided for them. Our goal is to anticipate the whatever-they-wants
and have them available; it doesn't matter to the user if we're simply
combining single-task tools behind the scenes.
All the mania about "you should have to fight to understand your operating
system" aside, some people really do just want to type their letter,
print it, and move on. (Er...not that I'm saying you said this.)

> I read somewhere (one of LinuxToday  featured  articles?)  this
> even could be visualised (by boxes with in/outgoing arrow, like
> in IDEF0 diagram).
> 
> Old and proven CLUI apps are not to be lost in the way...

Interesting idea. If you run across the article again, please send me
a pointer.
 
> >We are looking for interested people who are already familiar with
> >software in one or more of these categories to write a short description
> >of individual software packages. Our audience is the end users of linux,
> >so this task is particularly suited to non-programmers. In particular,
> >we want to address suitability of these applications to actually doing
> >'real work' -- ideally people working on a category will have some
> >experience with using the more traditional applications from that
> >category in a productivity environment, as well as a good idea of what
> >users expect from that application. (Yes, this means familiarity with
> >other operating systems is very useful.)
> 
> Probably some examples of such descriptions + some web or email
> interface to collect them into database could help.

Independence used to have an "editor comparison" section. Whatever
happened to it?
As for a web interface, that would require work. :) I could easily
accept submissions by email, though...
 
> Unfortunately, I have not seen much  'real  work'  (except  for
> word processing) to help with most of categories. Also my tastes
> differ very much from that of 'normal people'...
 
That's the case for a lot of us. That's why I'm thinking I should open
this up to a wider audience.
Something I was hoping to get from this mail, though, is a couple more
volunteers to be coordinators, consultants, project motivators. Send
me mail and volunteer. :)

Also, I'd be interested in hearing suggestions on how I could make the
announcement more.....motivating. It seems kind of dry and unexciting
now, doesn't it?
 
> Sincerely yours, Roman Suzi
> --
> Russia * Karelia * Petrozavodsk * rnd@rsuzi.pgu.karelia.ru
> * Thursday, August 26, 1999 * Powered by Linux RedHat 6.0
> * "Constant change is here to stay."
 
Thanks for the good feedback.
--Roger