[Mageia-dev] freedesktop spec and categories

Thu Feb 24 23:09:37 CET 2011

On 24.02.2011 21:15, Michael Scherer wrote:
+> Le jeudi 24 février 2011 à 20:30 +0200, Anssi Hannula a écrit :
+>> On 24.02.2011 18:57, Tux99 wrote:
+>>>
+>>>
+>>> Quote: Michael Scherer wrote on Thu, 24 February 2011 13:27
+>>>>
+>>>> Le jeudi 24 février 2011 à 10:06 +0100, Samuel Verschelde a écrit :
+>>>>>
+>>>>> I don't think so. Several Mandriva releases ago, there was no such
+>>>>> "More" 
+>>>>> entry, but real sub-categories in the menu. Then it changed for
+>>>>> what we have 
+>>>>> now, but that wasn't a change in the .desktop files, rather a menu
+>>>>>
+>>>>> configuration. I guess that was a decision meant to bring
+>>>>> "simplicity",
+>>>>
+>>>> Yes, and that's a choice that can be backed by several studies on the
+>>>> subject, the working memory have been estimated to be 7 chunks of
+>>>> information ( between 5 and 9 is a wildly accepted range ). I remember
+>>>> having seen a studie saying that it was less than this, but I cannot
+>>>> find it ( and it was on slashdot, so this may have been wrong ).
+>>>>
+>>>> So presenting only ~7 chunks of information ( ie ~7 items in menu ) is
+>>>> better according to the current cognitive model used, such as this one
+>>>> :
+>>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_information_processor_model 
+>>
+>> Eh, isn't that a reason to switch *back* to the two-level system, not to
+>> keep the current system?
+> 
+> I do not think so. What chunk of informations do you take in account ?
+
+No chunks, just items in menu.
+
+>> I have about 15-30 entries in everyone of Internet, Office, Audio/Video,
+>> Tools, Tools->System submenus.
+> 
+> By submenu, you mean the "more" submenu ? I fail to understand what do
+> you have exactly, can you provides a screenshot ?
+
+No, I mean menu entries directly under those menus.
+http://onse.fi/files/kuvat/menu1.png
+http://onse.fi/files/kuvat/menu2.png
+
+IMHO too many entries there. With two levels I think at least the number
+of entries/submenus directly under the Internet menu would be
+significantly reduced.
+
+>> With a two-level system it would be considerably less and closer to the
+>> ~7 you mention.
+> 
+> Depend, what is the process that you are wanting to improve ?
+> ( and closer is not good enough, even if 15 is nearer to 7 than 20,
+> that's still too much and a different process is used ( according to
+> studies ))
+
+No idea. IMO finding the wanted application is faster when it goes
+Internet => 5-7 submenus => each with 2-5 app entries
+instead of the current
+Internet => 20 app entries, plus 10 more in "More"
+
+-- 
+Anssi Hannula
+