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Whiskers

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Posts posted by Whiskers

  1. Ridge Racer 1 and 2 are both well worth picking up imo. Fun arcadey goodness, and a surprising amount of content for handheld racing games of the era. Also great soundtracks.

     

    The LocoRoco games are worth checking out too. And the two God of War games (Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta) are pretty great.

  2. On 12/8/2021 at 3:51 PM, mamamia88 said:

    His literal first instinct for taking a screenshot was to search for snipping tool. The reason why linux has so many desktops and distributions is because the community is trying to do it better than windows. That's why we have these type of discussions. I was basically saying "assume the developer isn't stupid and spend a few seconds looking for the proper way to do something before assuming it's broken". Every single task he does he assumes it's gonna be relatively similar to windows (which it is) and get's frustrated when it's not exactly like windows. "I need a refresh button it needs to be there!" is such a stupid complaint when you can enable it in a few seconds. Extracting a file and not realizing the progress bar is in the notifications area and then renaming the temporary zip before it's done zipping is user error not a linux specific problem. Manjaro not having apt is not a manjaro problem. It might be a documentation problem but, it's not something manjaro needs to address. 

     

    The refresh button should be part of the GUI by default. Sure you can add it yourself, but it's completely hidden away beneath 3 submenu levels. I'd argue Linus' issues with handling the file are just as much a Dolphin / KDE issue as it is a Linus issue; imo the UX for this task is poor and you shouldn't use the notification centre for showing important info relating to your current task. There's a reason it's been standard across almost every popular OS going back decades to show a pop-up progress bar / info window prominently near where you are carrying out the related task. There are ways to design it to be less clunky and intrusive whilst still sufficiently informing the user of what's going on; Dolphin / KDE's approach doesn't satisfactorily do this imo.

     

    On 12/8/2021 at 3:51 PM, mamamia88 said:

    We all do things slightly different and linux is tailored to that. So if you can't figure something out slow down, take a deep breath, and google it. Or just spend a few minutes digging around in the right click menu. Really comes off as condescending when you spend more time criticiizing a ui element like lack of a refresh button when it's just a design decision not to have it available by default but, allow the user to change it. 

     

    You just said yourself that we all do things slightly differently and Linux is tailored for that. But then when Linus wants to do things differently on Linux, you're suggesting he's wrong to do so. I don't think that's entirely fair. 😛 If Linux is supposed to be welcoming to users of different tastes, experiences, and needs, I don't see why that should exclude users with a Windows background. There's nothing wrong with a few accommodations here and there that make life a little easier for users transitioning to Linux, so long as they don't intrude on the experience for those who are already very familiar and confident with Linux. Even something as simple as adding in "snipping tool" as a search alias for a given screenshot utility can help.

     

    On 12/8/2021 at 4:13 PM, finest feck fips said:

    I tend to be highly suspicious of any talk of ‘intuitive’ user interfaces. In one of the previous official posts on an official episode, one user related the experience of baby duck syndrome, which I think is a very useful concept here.

     

    That's a fair point. It can definitely be difficult to discern what's truly "intuitive" and what's just accommodating established expectations. And "intuitive design" has long been a bit of an empty buzzword in UI, UX design and related areas. I still think it's important to do what we can to make interfaces that make sense for new users though, whether they're new to computers entirely or just new to Linux. 

     

    On 12/8/2021 at 4:13 PM, finest feck fips said:

    I recently encountered a very interesting old paper on the research and acceptance testing that went into the first Windows release to include a start menu. There's a lot in it to suggest that what may now be easy to think of as ‘intuitive’ is very much a matter of learned convention. Take for instance the ‘standard’ Windows behavior of single-clicking to select and double-clicking to launch. The paper describes the following as a ‘key finding’:

     

    Or consider that many users like Linus and Luke might describe an experience where right-clicking on the desktop offers options for changing the desktop background but not the screen resolution as ‘unintuitive’. But how intuitive are context menus?

     

    Good points. I hadn't even considered the desktop context menu example, I could indeed see that causing some confusion / frustration for ex-Windows users. That said it's very easy to find your way to the display settings so I don't think it's too inconvenient or confusing to people. It's also an instance, imo, of Windows having a bizarre and arbitrary way of doing something which wouldn't be intuitive at all unless you're already used to it.

     

    Ultimately it's a matter of balance. I feel sometimes we're a bit too diametrically opposed to the idea of doing something "the Windows way", or even accommodating Windows users. But I also feel there are plenty of things in most Linux distros and software that are outright unintuitive, even to those who've never used Windows before. 

     

    One important note though; research data from the Windows 95 era isn't guaranteed to be entirely relevant / accurate now. User familiarity with and expectations for computer programs and interfaces were vastly different then; computers were still relatively new to consumers, and they were yet to become entirely commonplace. And of course smartphones, which have had a massive impact on user familiarity and expectations with tech and software in general, didn't exist. The "baseline" expectation of users in 2021 isn't comparable to that of ~1995 because as a whole we're so much more intimately familiar with using computers.

     

    On 12/8/2021 at 4:13 PM, finest feck fips said:

    For a more potent example, consider the behavior of the ‘show desktop’ button on KDE Plasma, which temporarily minimizes all windows, but restores the position of all windows once you move away from the desktop and open any window. Is actually minimizing all windows an intuitive behavior for new users, given that


    To me, it seems more intuitive that a button meant to show you the desktop does so with as few catches as possible. By trying to pre-empt user intent, I think it risks confusing / frustrating users who don't use it as the designer expected. I mean that's kind of unavoidable to a point in UI design but hopefully you can see what I mean. Imo, it'd be better to have the Windows-like approach by default and allow users to choose the current approach if they prefer it.

     

    It could be that I feel that way because of baby duck syndrome, but I've almost never used the button before so I don't think so.

     

    On 12/8/2021 at 4:13 PM, finest feck fips said:

    So here the path actually forks: does KDE want a behavior that is ‘intuitive to new users’ or one that is familiar to experienced Windows users?

     

    I get the impression from bits like this in your previous comment that you already agree with that.


    I think optimally it should be designed to be accessible to both. Which is a bit hand-wavey I know, but I think it's important to not just copy Windows' way of doing something, or just design something to be intuitive to those who've never used a computer before. It's all about balance, again. And of course there's a third part to that balance; the existing Linux crowd. I'm not advocating for a paradigm shift in Linux UI and UX design which completely ignores current user expectations and preferences, just that it should be a little more cognisant of and accommodating to those who are new to Linux.

     

    On 12/8/2021 at 4:13 PM, finest feck fips said:

    But I want to stress that in the context of an audience who grew up with computers in general and Windows computers in particular, it can be very difficult to separate out what is intuitive from what is familiar.

     

    Absolutely. And it's only getting more difficult, as so many people's experiences and expectations are being shaped by daily interactions with their smartphone or tablet. There are kids and even teens now who've been using a smart device almost every day of their life. Leads to some interesting questions as to how things will further develop for desktop OS design I think.

  3. 37 minutes ago, mamamia88 said:

    Funny how most of Linuses problems are fixed so easily or just straight him having too large of a screen or expecting everything to behave exactly the same. Like how when he goes to zip up a folder and it's progress bar is in the notification area and his screen is huge. So he goes and changes the file extension when it's still a temp file and it fails.

     

    Linus isn't the only user with a large screen. 😛 But even if he was, that doesn't make this good UX design. Not all users can be assumed to have perfect peripheral vision for one, so I don't think it's a great idea to show important information relating to the user's active task nowhere near where they are carrying that task out. I think it's also not optimal UX to represent an incomplete file visually as a complete file with a gibberish file extension. The way Windows handles this isn't great either, but is at least good enough that it's unlikely to cause this kind of user confusion - and owing to it displaying a prominent progress bar window on top of everything, it's less of an issue anyway.

     

    37 minutes ago, mamamia88 said:

    If you go into Linux expecting the exact same experience as windows it's not gonna happen. But if you assume for 1 second the developers are designing it to actually be used by someone you'll usually find a solution. 

     

    I don't agree. I don't think it's fair to suggest that's what Linus is doing, and I don't think it's reasonable to frame the issue as "Linux not behaving like Windows". That's really not the issue. Linux doesn't have to copy Windows' experience to accommodate new users. It needs to have an intuitive and accessible UI and UX. Windows itself has a notoriously flawed UI / UX; it's a schizophrenic kitbash of decades worth of inconsistent and sometimes downright dreadful interface design. Copying it outright would be silly. Linux should never settle for being as good as Windows; it should be so much better!

     

    Linux can be needlessly unintuitive and poorly communicative to new users at times. Things have improved considerably over the years, but there can still be little things here and there that are just obviously designed with insufficient consideration for newer or less technically inclined users. I think Linus' videos are highlighting that quite well.

  4. I'm glad things have calmed down a little, but just as a reminder - please be civil and respectful to one another on the forum. Insults and snide comments, veiled or otherwise, aren't acceptable. It's completely unnecessary to resort to vitriol and anger over a difference of opinion.

     

    10 hours ago, finest feck fips said:

    These forums are essentially unmoderated and populated predominantly by gamers, and it shows. The closest analogue to the way the majority of posters here talk about software is the way that normies talk about sports teams: 90% hot air. And in that talk, it is utterly routine to see tons of language that is not only insulting, uncivil, dismissive, or exaggerated, but rife with nonsense and misinformation.

     

    If you have a concern with the state of moderation in a given thread or section, specific or abstract, please talk to a member of the mod team about it. If there's anything we can do to improve the forum we're interested to hear it. And if something / someone is breaking the forum's rules, please use the report button to alert us to it.

     

    The site is moderated by a group of volunteers; ultimately, we can't individually vet each and every topic and post. We rely on the community to inform us when there's a problem so that we can take the appropriate action.

  5. 24 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

    Linus has a very valid point about Linux as a desktop, sure the CLI is always there and ready but its not always the best option and it shouldn't be forced onto users as the only (or even preferred) option. Its a bit hypocritical for a bunch of free choice advocates to tell users they shouldn't be using a GUI to move files around.

     

    Totally agree. I like using CLI personally, and it can be incredibly powerful; it has many advantages over a GUI for various tasks, and when you've learned how to use it effectively it can be much more efficient and powerful than a GUI can be without becoming a monstrous nightmare of buttons, dropdowns, and submenus on submenus.

     

    But it's also extremely unintuitive, very offputting to those who are less technically inclined, and for some tasks it can be less efficient or capable than a well designed GUI can be. And ultimately, regardless of how efficient or powerful either CLI or GUI is on paper, it's entirely meaningless if it doesn't work for the user. Some users fly with CLI, some with GUI. Important and common functionality should, optimally, never be exclusively tied to one or the other.

     

    It is indeed ironic given the nature of Linux itself that there's a bit of a prevalent determination in the community that things must only be done one way, and that users who wish to do it a different way are wrong. Choices are good; catering to varied user tastes and preferences is entirely a positive move. 

  6. 1 minute ago, SnowyRVulpix said:

    Sometimes it does feel like it. I'm not talking about anyone in particular, but sometimes it does feel like people look at Linux as a whole, instead of a massive collective of individual parts.

     

    True, yeah, there'll be some people who do. But I don't think many reasonable people do. That said - if we can start tackling the problems we've been discussing, I don't doubt we'd see Linux's reputation amongst those people improve. We'd no longer be giving them an inch, so to speak.

     

    1 minute ago, SnowyRVulpix said:

    Oh I absolutely agree, but I feel this is true of any community. I do remember once having trouble with Windows and getting lambasted over my low end (their words) hardware. Apparently I was using the wrong type of hardware, I should have been using this processor or that graphics card. And something about Windows set up. It was years ago.All I wanted was to get World of Warcraft working after it broke. WoW, by the way, would run on a potato if you let it.

     

    Damn. Yeah, stuff like that just happens too often unfortunately.

     

    1 minute ago, SnowyRVulpix said:

    My point is that, yeah. Linux has its toxic elements... and they are really toxic, I absolutely agree.. but it is not a concept exclusive to Linux. I do believe Linus mentioned this on one of the WAN shows, actually.
     

    Absolutely agree. We do need to keep in mind that this is the vocal minority, but they are a really loud vocal minority..

     

    This Linux gaming challenge is honestly going to make me cry... and I'm not sure if it's Linus' bad experience (such as his problems with Dolphin, or his misunderstanding of how file type systems differ between OSes) or if it's the community articles he's reading that'll make me cry. There is no reason for the community to treat new comers the way some of those articles talk down to new users.

     

    Yep. Like I said before, toxicity should be called out in every community. And thankfully it's only a minority who act in this unpleasant way, which makes it much easier to deal with. I'm hopeful things can improve as Linux gains more momentum in the desktop OS space, and especially amongst gamers. That could be pivotal to shaking a lot of things up for the better.

     

    We'll get there eventually. Things have improved drastically over the years already; just the fact that there are distros focused on trying to be more user-friendly and intuitive is a great step forward. And we've seen a massive amount of excellent documentation and resources posted online to teach newcomers about Linux fundamentals, principles, etc. And with prominent people like Linus bringing attention to some of the shortcomings in the Linux experience for new users / ex-Windows users, there's increased attention on these issues - and hopefully better chance of them being properly addressed now.

     

    Just remember there's still a heck of a lot to be optimistic for! :old-happy:

  7. 4 minutes ago, SnowyRVulpix said:

    It is absolutely important to call gatekeeping and elitism out, but you cannot paint an entire community with the same brush. I have no control over the gatekeepers... and I have argued with gatekeepers, as recently as last week infact, 

    In said argument, I was actually defending Linus. I believe that what happened with PopOS in the first video was not Linus' fault at all. This person that I was arguing with claimed that it was 100% Linus' fault. He didn't read the warning in the terminal, so it's his fault! When I pointed out that the warning was in te middle of a huge blob of white noise, he tried to argue that it was clear as day (It wasn't), etcetc... and many other gatekeeper arguments. He even took pride in being called a gatekeeper, and didn't want his right to break his system taken away because [Linus] couldn't handle it. 

    The thing is that this guy and I are both part of the Linux community... but we're as different as night and day. I want to see more users on the Linux platform. He wants to keep Linux for his own little elite group of computer users.

    I don't think anyone's painting the entire community with the same brush - I'm part of the Linux community myself, and I don't consider myself toxic (at least I hope not!). The Linux community is massive, and full of a great many talented and friendly people. I'm confident in saying that the toxic and arrogant ones are probably a very small percentage of the overall group.

     

    The problem is, even a small group of toxic people can have an enormous negative impact if their behaviour isn't addressed. And it's altogether too common in the Linux community (in my experience) for toxic behaviour and attitudes to be expressed, and then never challenged or called out. There's always plenty of excuses or justifications for it when it's discussed - but they're justifications and excuses for toxic, condescending,  and insulting behaviour. It needs to be called out and addressed more I feel.

  8. 43 minutes ago, JZStudios said:

    It was though. I know it's pointless to argue that what I said wasn't offensive, which it wasn't, but this forum is quickly becoming a place of not allowing discussion.

     

    You're entirely free to have a discussion. You're just not free to be a dick while doing it. If you want to discuss the specifics of that you can send me a private message.

  9. 1 hour ago, Sauron said:

    It *is* a little weird that we don't apply this standard to Windows. I have never heard Linus (or any other techtuber for that matter) complain about toxic people blemishing the reputation of the "Windows community". It's fair to call out toxicity where you see it, but I feel like people tend to apply a double standard just because they rarely need help with Windows.

     

    Since it's only ever Linux users being called out I'd say this could create a false impression that the community is especially toxic or unhelpful, which is really not true.

    I disagree. The Linux community has long had a serious problem with arrogance and elitism which just isn't present in the same way in the Windows community in my experience. If anything, a better comparison would be the Apple community. Both have a ridiculous issue with treating newer / less knowledgeable users with contempt, condescension and venom. If a user has an issue with a feature or bug they're often told that it's not a problem and that actually they're doing things wrong and need to go learn how to do it the right way. Heck just look at how some have responded to Linus and Luke's series; I've seen comments in complete opposition to fixing the kind of problems they're raising because they believe that Linux shouldn't cater to "gamerbros", and that new users just need to "learn Linux". Some people seem to find it a genuinely insulting prospect to cater to ex-Windows users in Linux, which is just crazy to me.

     

    Imo, it's important to call this out because it is such a problem. And sure, it should be called out in the Windows and Apple communities too when it happens. But Linux in particular has long had a unique problem wiht this and it needs to be called out so things can change. The gatekeeping and elitism just isn't right.

  10. 5 hours ago, Dracarris said:

    No. Not at all. Sooner or later, everyone and their dog will have a USB-C wall charger, and then these cables can be used. People here are acting like type C is an Apple-only thing. Jesus Christ guys, it is the new industry standard! More and more devices are moving to it, and I am shocked a tech-affine community like this one is so critical when it comes to type C. At some point everyone has to move. Until then, use your existing type-A cables and the included type-C cable to connect to your laptop, where basically any recent one has at least one type-C connector.

     

    Yes, and the move towards USB C would have gotten along a good bit faster if Apple hadn't stubbornly stuck with Lightning all this time just so they can keep making money from their ridiculous and frankly greedy license fee.

     

    I've no problem with them moving to Type C, in fact my criticism is largely that they've taken far too long to do it. They've done it far too slowly, have (intentionally) badly timed their move to omit the charger, and have made a big marketing point about how they're working to eliminate easte - whilst employing contradictory policies which actually produce or result in a lot of unnecessary ewaste (not to mention their repair and reuse policies and their unnecessary environmental impact).

  11. 5 hours ago, n0stalghia said:

    If you already have an Apple charger, then you already have a Lighting to Type A cable. I don't get your argument. How are you charging your iPhone now, if not with a Type A to Lightning?

    It's a fair point, and for me personally it's true, I could just use the Lightning to USB A cables I already have. But then the bundled Lightning to USB C cable is ewaste, and is so for everyone who would need to rely on their USB A cables.

     

    Additionally, there will also be a lot of users who don't already have a Lightning to USB A cable; people who are upgrading from a phone with MicroUSB for example, those who are buying a smartphone for the first time, or those whose previous iPhone cable has been lost or damaged (they're not exactly known for being long-lasting, after all). And for those people Apple's move simply means they need to pay more money just for the luxury of being able to use their device.

     

    I have no problem with Apple reducing ewaste, and indeed agree that removing the bundled earphones and charger from the product box is a good move for the environment (when done right). I do have a problem however with them being dishonest about their motivations and actions. Apple as a company have bragged for years about their determination to reduce their impact on the environment, and have endlessly marketed their focus on recycling - but they intentionally design their products to obstruct easy repair and reuse, fight tooth and nail against the Right to Repair movement, refuse to repair devices that are out of warranty without a very steep cost to the user, refuse to carry out repairs or part replacements on devices they consider too old (even if you're willing to pay for it), and refuse to make official replacement parts easily available to third party repair services or individuals.

     

    Until Apple begin to take a more holistic and consistent approach to lessening their environmental impact, I'll continue to criticise them for their dishonest marketing on that front.

  12. 25 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

    Apple will reply: If we change to USB Type C, it will make people throw away their current cables, creating e-waste.

     

    Then they shouldn't have spent the better part of the last decade locking people into those proprietary cables in the first place. 😛

     

    Their professed goal is certainly a good one. E-waste is a big problem, and cutting down on the e-waste that they as a company generate is a laudable target. But the way they've gone about this just reeks of profit-seeking rather than true e-waste reduction; by including a Lightning to USB C cable instead of USB A they've struck off compatibility with the vast majority of chargers their customers already have, necessitating many to buy new chargers (or indeed cables) anyway, and by not having some sort of way for a customer to obtain a charger at no additional cost when they need one, they've essentially forced the customer into paying $30 extra just for the luxury of being able to use the expensive phone they've bought.

  13. I get why people are a little disappointed with this latest lineup, but to be honest I feel it's the biggest real improvement they've made for years. The new lineup looks great... even if their professed push for environmental conservation is really an only slightly-veiled move to make their products even more profitable.

     

    Finally, the main iPhone model has for the first time actually improved in pixel density over the iPhone 4... and it only took them a decade!  And it's gone back to that great iPhone 4 design with the flat edges. It seems kind of funny to me that after a full decade Apple's design team haven't been able to come up with a design that's better than that of the iPhone 4; but hey-ho we are talking about a company that happily sold laptops with defective keyboards for 4 generations. :D

     

    To be fair though there are also some genuinely cool new things, imo. The iPhone 12 Mini is a great option for those who still want a premium, flagship iPhone but want a smaller version of it. MagSafe seems pretty nifty and is surprisingly affordable for an Apple peripheral. The camera improvements seem great, and the maximum screen brightness is pretty fantastic so should make the screens much more usable in brightly lit areas. The impact of 5G on battery life seems to not be that bad (especially considering they've made the phones thinner, and so likely decreased actual battery capacity ever so slightly).

     

    Now... if only they'd ditch Lightning already and embrace USB C. You want to talk about environmental impact and not encouraging ewaste? Don't force people to buy proprietary cables and accessories.

  14. Thread moved to troubleshooting.

     

    You can use the built-in Disk Management tool on Windows to change the letter assigned to your drive, which should fix your problem. Open Disk Management, right click on the drive you want to change the letter of, select "Change Drive Letter and Paths...", highlight the letter assigned to the drive (if it's not already selected), click the "Change" button, and then select the letter you want to assign to it and click OK.

     

    Some programs can have difficulty recognising when a drive's letter has been changed so it's usually a good idea to restart your computer after you've made any changes.

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