Basic Menu - Application Choices

Hello,

Jordan (aka LaserJock) is working on dynamic menus.
https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/edub
untu-dynamic-menus

"What I was thinking was having a basic .menu that
would have the most
common items straight in the Applications menu so users
don't have to
dig around sub-menus, then on top of that build
subject-based sub-menus.
Stuff like Science, Art, Math, Writing, etc."

He has a simple question for now:

What would you expect to see on a common base menu for all
users. We've
had the following suggestions:

* calculator
* firefox
* gedit
* oo document
* oo spreadsheet

Additions, Suggestions, Comments welcome.

Thanks
Richard
-- 
Richard Weideman
richard.edubuntugmail.com

Ubuntu Education Programme Manager
http://www.edubuntu.org
http://www.ubuntu.com


-- 
edubuntu-users mailing list
edubuntu-userslists.ubuntu.com
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/edubuntu-users

On Wed, September 6, 2006 11:35 am, Richard Weideman wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Jordan (aka LaserJock) is working on dynamic menus.
> https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/edub
untu-dynamic-menus
>
> "What I was thinking was having a basic .menu
that would have the most
> common items straight in the Applications menu so users
don't have to
> dig around sub-menus, then on top of that build
subject-based sub-menus.
> Stuff like Science, Art, Math, Writing, etc."
>
> He has a simple question for now:
>
> What would you expect to see on a common base menu for
all users. We've
> had the following suggestions:
>
> * calculator
> * firefox
> * gedit
> * oo document
> * oo spreadsheet

You have 'calculator' which is a generic tool, and then
you have 'firefox'
which is a specific application.

Both of those represent different ways of specifying what
the user is
allowed to do.

I think that students should learn the generic terms for
doing things,
without getting hung up on specific tools.

Therefore, I'd favor a menu like this:

  * Calculator
  * Web Browser
  * Text Editor
  * Word processor
  * Spreadsheet

If you use terms like 'firefox' then the students will be
lost if they sit
down at a computer that doesn't have that specific
application.

I know i'd MUCH rather have my kids learn how to use a
"spreadsheet" than
how to use 'Excel'.


Ciao,
Jim McQuillan
jamLtsp.org



-- 
edubuntu-users mailing list
edubuntu-userslists.ubuntu.com
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/edubuntu-users

Jim McQuillan wrote:
> On Wed, September 6, 2006 11:35 am, Richard Weideman
wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> Jordan (aka LaserJock) is working on dynamic menus.
>> https://launchpad.net/distros/ubuntu/+spec/edub
untu-dynamic-menus
>>
>> "What I was thinking was having a basic .menu
that would have the most
>> common items straight in the Applications menu so
users don't have to
>> dig around sub-menus, then on top of that build
subject-based sub-menus.
>> Stuff like Science, Art, Math, Writing, etc."
>>
>> He has a simple question for now:
>>
>> What would you expect to see on a common base menu
for all users. We've
>> had the following suggestions:
>>
>> * calculator
>> * firefox
>> * gedit
>> * oo document
>> * oo spreadsheet
> 
> You have 'calculator' which is a generic tool, and
then you have 'firefox'
> which is a specific application.
> 
> Both of those represent different ways of specifying
what the user is
> allowed to do.
> 
> I think that students should learn the generic terms
for doing things,
> without getting hung up on specific tools.
> 
> Therefore, I'd favor a menu like this:
> 
>   * Calculator
>   * Web Browser
>   * Text Editor
>   * Word processor
>   * Spreadsheet
> 
> If you use terms like 'firefox' then the students
will be lost if they sit
> down at a computer that doesn't have that specific
application.
> 
> I know i'd MUCH rather have my kids learn how to use a
"spreadsheet" than
> how to use 'Excel'.
> 
> 
> Ciao,
> Jim McQuillan
> jamLtsp.org
> 
> 
> 

I agree with Jim.

We build our menus for Cutter (KDE) using generic terms. 
Kids/Staff
understand "Web Browser" they may not get
"Firefox"

-- 
Regards

Andy Trevor
Technical Director

Tel: 07840 988311

Cutter Project Limited

http://www.cutterproje
ct.co.uk

-- 
edubuntu-users mailing list
edubuntu-userslists.ubuntu.com
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/edubuntu-users

hi,
Am Mittwoch, den 06.09.2006, 12:11 -0400 schrieb Jim
McQuillan:

> You have 'calculator' which is a generic tool, and
then you have 'firefox'
> which is a specific application.
> 
> Both of those represent different ways of specifying
what the user is
> allowed to do.
> 
> I think that students should learn the generic terms
for doing things,
> without getting hung up on specific tools.
> 
well, we wont touch the .desktop files that contain teh
default names
and translations indeed. this is all about menu structure,
not about the
entries (else we'd have to touch every .desktop file in the
system to
present the name we want, thats not doable with the manpower
we
have 
)

in my ubunru and edubuntu menus, the firefox entry says
"Firefox Web
Browser" which i think is fine because it represents
the app and its
functionallity. in the meeting richard asked for apps that
we would see
as generic apps that should be in a base profile...

we didn't check the menu entries but threw in the names of
apps we have
installed by default ;)

so read richards list as:

* Calculator
* Firefox Web Browser
* Texteditor
* Openoffice Word Processor
* Openoffice Spreadsheet

(and he forgot evolution as calendaring and mail app btw
 )

ciao
	oli
-- 
edubuntu-users mailing list
edubuntu-userslists.ubuntu.com
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/edubuntu-users