RE: [eclipse-dev] Major data-destroying usability bugs

[CARL.SMOTRICZ@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Dan and everybody else,

I know I'm being naughty for continuing this discussion, but I've been a
good (and quiet) boy since I started lurking here in January, so I hope I'll
be excused for adding an opinion. I'll try to keep it brief.

Maybe I'm just careful, but in the past 5 years as a pro developer working
mostly in Windows, I've maybe done 5 recoveries from the trashcan. My
personal opinion (please take this tongue-in-cheek) is that Windows'
trashcan is for wusses, err, end users. It gives them a nice warm feeling
and the ability to undo the typical newbie blunders but I feel better
trusting in my own paranoia about deletions than in the trashcan.

As for "real" developers, maybe Windows and the Trashcan have managed to
make them complacent about file deletions; I think they're in for a shock if
they move to Linux or *ix. If I want a good warm feeling about the safety of
my files, then the first thing I do when starting a project is to throw it
into CVS. Once my files are committed, I can delete to my heart's content
and in great safety. Best of all, the CVS repository is usually on a
different machine, so I have the added safety of my data being on a separate
disk -- even a disk crash holds little terror.

Also, I would never entrust "real" important work to a new tool, but take a
day or two just playing around with it. That way, I could destroy my whole
project a few times in learning and think nothing of it. Only after doing
this would I consider moving a substantial project there. Call me
inefficient, but I would *plan* to waste a day's work or two on exploring
and learning, so the loss of half a day would not have fazed me.

All this sounds like an attack on Dan's work style, but believe me, it's
not. Everybody has their own style, influenced by their environment and
their experience; and surprisingly enough, people with vastly different
styles end up being equally productive. So as they say, Your Mileage May
Vary. I've just described my personal style and why I would not have been
bitten as hard by the annoyance and frustration that Dan's mail showed.

That said, I agree both with his statement that Eclipse is a very fine
product, and that a few things could still be done to make it even better.
In fact, I think his usability complaints/suggestions were right on the
money. Thanks, everyone, for the great work, and please keep it up!

-Carl-

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All opinions expressed above are my own, not my company's.