Re: [Tails-ux] #16990: Update our list of "Favorites" applic…

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Autor: Michael Gerstacker
Data:  
A: Tails user experience & user interface design
Assumpte: Re: [Tails-ux] #16990: Update our list of "Favorites" applications
Hey guys

sajolida:

> I initially considered adding:
>
> * "Unlock VeraCrypt Volumes" as a great way of advertising our recent
> work.
>


This should be definitely added if it would be possible to configure or
make a VeraCrypt Volume but as long as that is (sadly) not possible i think
there is no benefit of adding it to the Favorites.
You can click on your encrypted Stick through "Files" and i think thats
what most people will do so there is no real need to use "Unlock VeraCrypt
Volumes".


Current list:
>
>     Tor Browser
>     Thunderbird
>     Pidgin Internet Messenger
>     KeePassXC
>     Files
>     Terminal

>


I think the question is what should the "Favorites" section tell the users
and is a "Favorites" section a wanted feature Tails want to provide?
How bad would the UX impact be if there wouldnt be a Favorites section
anymore?
People might use the Favorites section now but would it hurt if they
couldnt use it anymore?

If it is a wanted feature then the next question would be to decide if it
should be customizable or pre-built?
How complicated is it to implement a customized Favorites section?
How many people would customize their Favorites?

If it should be pre-build:

1. Should it be "a place to start and learn dealing with Tails" for new
users who dont already know for what they want to use Tails?

2. Should it be filled with the software which is used by most users?
If yes how do you measure that or is it okay to guess it?

3. Should it be filled with the things which are unique in Tails?

I personally think if Tails want to offers a pre-built "Favorites" section
and IF it should countain only one of my three "buckets" then it should be
bucket 3 because these are Tails favorites.


> My proposal is:
>
>     Tor Browser
>     Thunderbird
>     KeePassXC
>     Configure persistent volume
>     Tails Installer
>     Tails documentation
>     Report an Error

>


I think i like that if the decision is that it should contain something of
all three buckets.

I think:
"Tor Browser" is used by most users so its a Favorite of bucket 1 and
bucket 2.
"Thunderbird" is used by some users so maybe its a favorite of bucket 2.
(see my text below)
"KeePassXC" is used by some users and a good hint to savely storage your
passwords so its a favorite of bucket 1 and maybe 2. (see my text below)
"Configure Persistent Volume" is definitely worth a favorite and probably a
Favorite of all three buckets.
"Tails Installer" is a favorite of bucket 3.
"Tails-Dokumentation" is a favorite of bucket 1 and 3.
"Report an error" is a favorite of bucket 3.

The only thing i personally would think about removing it would be
Thunderbird because you anyway need to configure it first.
I dont see a big positive impact in adding it to the Favorites because its
not bucket 3 and i dont think a user who does not plan to use Thunderbird
will start using and configuring it just because it is in the Favorite
section so it seem to not fit in bucket 1 too.

KeePassXC is probably something if he is not already using it a user could
start using just because he got curious and found it in the "Favorites" so
it could fit in bucket 1 and Tor Browser is the feature for what Tails is
famous and is probably used by nearly everyone so i see a difference to
Thunderbird.


Rationale:
>
> - Adding "Tails documentation" and "Report an Error" will make it easier
> to get rid of the desktop icons (#11717).
>


I never really understood why exactly these two icons are on the desktop
too and getting rid of them was one of my thoughts too:)

- I'm removing GNOME Files because it's already accessible through
> Places in many ways.
>


I fully aggree for the same reasons.

- I'm removing Pidgin because I really don't think that it's more
> popular than OnionShare or Electrum, for example.
>


I aggree for the same reasons. I think all these three programs are
something the user will find if he is searching for but will not start
using them only because they pop-up in the Favorites section every time.

- I'm removing "Terminal" because the people who use it would know how
> to find it.
>


I aggree for the same reason. In the worst case a user who starts playing
around with it just because he found it in the "Favorites" will damage his
Tails so i think it should not be in the "Favorites" section.



segfault:

> > - I'm removing GNOME Files because it's already accessible through
> > Places in many ways.
> > - I'm removing Pidgin because I really don't think that it's more
> > popular than OnionShare or Electrum, for example.
> > - I'm removing "Terminal" because the people who use it would know how
> > to find it.
>
> I don't like the idea of removing favorites which we had for a very long
> time. It forces users to change their workflow, and there is no easy way
> for them to change it back, because we don't have a persistence preset
> for the favorite apps. This seems like bad UX.
>


Adding favorites could have kind of the same influence on users changing
their workflow.
Both could have a positiv impact or a negative.

Having Pidgin in the "Favorites" could lead to users using Pidgin just
because its in the Favorites section and not thinking about if maybe emails
would better fit for his use cases.
Removing Pidgin could lead to users using emails because they never
realized Pidgin could fit better for them.


> IMO, if we want to remove apps from the favorites list, we should also
> support to customize it.
>


I think the "Favorites" section tries to solve the problem that users need
to look through all submenus for what they are searching.

Making it customizable would solve that problem but i think the moment the
user knows which one are their personal favorites they would not get
affected anymore of the problem that they dont know where to find what they
are searching.

I dont know how complicated it is to make the "Favorites" customizable but
how many users would really customize that section when they already know
where to find what they are searching?


Cheers