Comments for OpenSource Usability Labs

Comment on 2012 – A good year for the user experience of Free Software? by Bugsbane

Bugsbane — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:59:59 +0000

Please, please, please go and talk to the folk over at the Freedombox Foundation. Freedombox may be one of the most significant projects in the free and open source software world… if it takes off.

The main thing that is getting in their way right now (that they’re begging for) is help from usability experts. They’re trying to take a complex stack of server software and figure out how to make it usable by a mass market. Not an easy task for people with no usability background.

If you’re looking for a challenge, in the usability field, that could change the world and get widescale recognition, FreedomBox is your project. Talk to them. Bring any usability contacts you may have. Now. Please.(Have I made my point yet? ;P )

Comment on The Kontact Mobile Team is looking for Testers by iwifihack

iwifihack — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:14:57 +0000

iwifihack…

[...]The Kontact Mobile Team is looking for Testers | OpenSource Usability Labs[...]…

Comment on First LibreOffice user research survey closed by DVdBranden

DVdBranden — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:16:42 +0000

To whom it may belong :

I’m a big fan of LibreOffice and I have the following request :

if LibreOffice ever would consider to replace the current menu bar by a ribbon (just like Microsoft Office did), I have two requests :

1) do NOT replace the classic menu bars

2) If you will develop a ribbon-like menu, please give users the choice to use the classical menu’s or the ‘new’ ribbon menu’s

My employer uses MS Office and the 2003 version of this software was great.
A while ago we had to change to Office 2007 and later on to 2010.
Indeed with the ‘new’ ribbon in stead of the classical drop down menu’s.

After months I’m still searching for some trivial functions which I knew by heart in the ‘old’ way.
One could say that time will bring the solution, but all time has brought to me is frustration.

The so called ‘enhanced productivity’ is nothing less than a marketing trick to convince the first users.
After a while other users have to follow because file extentions differ and some functions are not supported anymore by the “good old Office 2003″.

The ribbon is space consuming, very confusing, not consistent and does not give you the feeling you are in control.

Even more prove of it being just a ‘facade’ is that the deeper menu’s, choices and windows are exactly the same as they were in Office 2003 !

So please, if ever LibreOffice considers to follow Microsoft’s new way I ask LibreOffice NOT to do so OR otherwise at least offer users the CHOICE to keep the usual/classical drop down menu bars as the are now present.

With many, many thanks in advance!!!
D.V.d.Branden
Belgium

Comment on Tine 2.0: Results of October 2011 Survey by om igen - björn skifs

om igen - björn skifs — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 05:31:53 +0000

[...] Tine 2.0: Results of October 2011 Survey | OpenSource Usability Labs [...]

Comment on Looking back: LibreOffice Conference in Paris by Links 4/11/2011: Fedora 16 Goes Gold, Apple Bats for Sacred Cow (Brand) | Techrights

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 00:51:40 +0000

[...] Looking back: LibreOffice Conference in Paris First thing I want to say is ‘Thank you!’ to all the people who have been organizing the conference. It was a great experience for me – full of contrasts, inspiration and networking. I was very happy to meet so many of you LibreOffice enthusiasts personally. There have been a lot of detailed descriptions on various topics (e.g. I really liked Christophs post, also check the LibreOffice Planet). I do not want to add much more to these – only one little thing: [...]

Comment on LibreOffice user research – Results vol.4 by Mr.NT

Mr.NT — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 03:18:54 +0000

I am working on MS Office for past 4 years in my office. When I tried to switch to LibreOffice which is really slow due to non-integrated keyboard shortcuts.
Keyboard shortcuts make you work amazingly fast in MS office. Even if my mouse is not working, I have no trouble working in MS Office. All shortcuts are easy to learn and logical as it increases productivity, speed, utility and makes you smart.
I feel LibreOffice reduces productivity of your office time.
I love free softwares a lot, but why should I let it eat my time and efficiency?
To improve LibreOffice:-
1. Integrate logical shortcuts to everything
[Just like in M.S.Office]
2. Tool Bars can be replaced by ribbon with an
option in settings to go back to classic.
3. The basic advantage provided in M.S office is
when we reach a menu/Tab all shortcuts pops-up
and by using those logical key shortcuts one or
two times, it gets into our mind and we will be
able to do the same even without looking at it.
A five minute manual data processing activity in M.S office, goes up to 20 minutes mouse ride in LibreOffice.
If developers increase the utility and efficiency of LibreOffice, then it can beat M.S office just like Internet Explorer goes down against Firefox.

” Jai Ho! – LibreOffice”

Comment on LibreOffice user research – Results vol.4 by Mr.NT

Mr.NT — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 03:07:34 +0000

Comment on Results of Tine 2.0 time tracking survey April 2011 by best goals

best goals — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 01:34:26 +0000

prioritizing…

[...]Results of Tine 2.0 time tracking survey April 2011 | OpenSource Usability Labs[...]…

Comment on LibreOffice user research – Summary by Wade Olson

Wade Olson — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:40:14 +0000

Great blog entry. I have not yet heard about Motives as opposed to Personas, but am interested in learning more. Thanks for the tip!

Comment on LibreOffice user research – Results vol.4 by Someone under 30

Someone under 30 — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:22:44 +0000

As someone who has used word back to ’98, but cut his teeth on 2007, the ribbon just makes more sense and is more visually appealing. Extreme users will collapse the ribbon and use keyboard shortcuts anyway but for novice users the increased screen real-estate use of the ribbon combined with fewer features visible at once (one ribbon tab compared to multiple toolbars) helps them take time to view their options and without feeling pressured by a pull-down menu or overwhelmed with toolbars.
Most people I would think come to libreoffice for one of two reasons: 1. Because they like MS office but don’t want to or can’t pay for a license or 2. Because they don’t like MS office due to annoyance or lack of features.
As the study shows, newer people who fall into group 1 will tend to want the ribbon interface as what they want from libreoffice is just a MS Office replacement.
People in group 2 will tend to be the more expert/older users who are more prone to keyboard shortcuts anyway.
LibreOffice should offer at least the ribbon interface as a plugin, and preferably a modular interface that could accommodate ribbon and toolbar users.