[Sigia-l] Open Source Usability -- curable?

[Dave]

Hi Bill, thanx for your comments.
I think what some of us would be asking for is another level (at least
one) for having functionality approved in an OS project, which would
be that the GUI get tested for usability validation and that "CODE"
not be the commodity for the OS movement, but rather functionality and
that for functionality to be approved it needs to go through a
different process than just that for the code underneath that
functionality (maybe functionality is not the exactly right term).

To be submited, there should be the following done besides unit
testing and code review:
1. The answer to the question "Why?" with supporting research. For
functionality to be officially added to the application there should
be some type of supporting material, i.e. field research, usability
tests, participatory design study, etc. But the answer should
definitely be there.

2. The anser to the question "What?" ... this is like an MRD
(Marketing requirements doc) where it is understood what functionality
needs to be done to achieve the Why. This is necessary for later.

3. Code review as noted above.

4. Usability Testing

If an OS project instituted something like these requirements, then
the projects themselves would not be so run by engineering mindsets
and we can start working more x-functionally on OS projects.

Happy, Happy | Joy, Joy
-- dave