Re: [wmii] summary of some #wmii talk on 2006-03-02

On Mar 3, 2006, at 6:04 AM, Uriel wrote:

>> If that isn't dynamic, then I'd suggest no window manager will meet
>> your definition of dynamic. I think the notion that wmii is "dynamic"
>> is complete bunk to be honest. I have to deal with frames, locking/
>> unlocking of frames (at least in 2.5), switching between frames,
>> changing display modes, resizing (when something in my browser
>> doesn't fit), moving stuff between workspaces, et cetera. If
>> anything, wmii is more mental "work" than an overlapping manager,
>> which just consists of "this is in the way, I'll move it".

> Most of that crap should be gone in wmii-3, and what are arguing here
> about removing more operations(create/delete col, and all that other
> crap.) Which would certainly simplify things while making them more
> dynamic.

Sounds good. Right now, I'll concede, it can often be a bit more
trouble than it is worth. Theoretical speed of operation aside, if I
have to stop and think about how to work my window manager (even
after weeks of practice), then all of that speed and ease of use is
lost.

Half of the time I work with wmii, and half of the time I work on my
OS X partition. With simple hide and hide others operations, Exposé,
and simple toggle app/window commands, I never have to "think" about
window management. It is all very simple and straightforward, even
with a lot of windows. The downside to this is that it can take a bit
longer to get to a layout that I like. However, if it takes six
seconds instead of two, but I don't have to think two seconds
beforehand and I don't have to put in any mental work that distracts
me from what I intend to be working on, that's a tradeoff I'm
generally willing to make.

I suppose I'm arguing for a reductionist approach to wmii. For
example, why do we have three key commands, one for stacks, one for
normal, and one for maximized, when we could just have one key
command that toggles between the three? At the very most, you'll only
have to press it twice to get to the mode you're looking for.
Similarly, multiple workspaces add unnecessary complication and
mental overhead (you have to remember where everything is or go
hunting every time). I'm not sure what the better solution is right
now, but I'm sure we can find one. I also think feedback could be
better about what mode you are in at a given time. Am I in maximized
mode, or is there just one window in this column? We have a lot of
space on the bottom of the screen that goes unused. I think it would
be nice to put it to work offering feedback about what is happening.

I have confidence in uriel and the others working on the project. I'm
sure 3 will offer some big improvements. I just wanted to put in my
request for a heavily application of reductionism and full
consideration of the best-possible-situation versus least-possible-
mental-overhead tradeoff. Right now, wmii *can* be fast, but it isn't
always, and it rarely is as easy as a simple hide/hide-others/sort-by-
application sort of overlapping manager.

- John