[jsword-devel] Bible Desktop Vision and Strategy

[Jonathan Morgan]

On Mon, Mar 9, 2009 at 10:52 PM, Jonathan Morgan <jonmmorgan at gmail.com> wrote:
> I'll just start by saying that I don't necessarily see the goals as
> wrong, just that they may have minor problems or be over idealistic.
>
> On Sat, Mar 7, 2009 at 3:17 AM, DM Smith <dmsmith at crosswire.org> wrote:
>> Here is a starting point for a new statement. Your feedback/input is very
>> welcomed.
>>
>> Vision:
>>   Users of Bible Desktop grow closer to God as they explore and study God's
>> Word since can be tailored to be their favorite Bible application.
>
> Bear in mind that most users don't want to have to tailor an
> application, and often won't at all.  Being configurable is nice, but
> the default layout has to be good because that's what a lot of people
> will judge and evaluate the software on.
>
>> Strategic goals: (Bridges the vision with user expectations of Bible
>> Desktop)
>>   Reliable - Everything works as expected, without bugs and without
>> surprise.
>>   Adaptable - The user is able to adapt Bible Desktop to their work flow.
>>   Simple - Make each feature of Bible Desktop as simple as possible but no
>> simpler. Each feature should be so obvious that it does not detract from
>> God's Word.
>>   Complete - Bible Desktop does everything a user could ever want in a Bible
>> Application
>
> That is impossible (though there is nothing wrong in working towards
> it).  It is my firm opinion after many years of software development
> that software can only do everything you might want if you don't have
> enough imagination.
>
>>   Extensible - If Bible Desktop doesn't do everything, it is simple for a
>> developer to add the missing feature to Bible Desktop.
>>
>> Tactical: (How user expectations of Bible Desktop are achieved.)
>>   Reliable
>>       Reported bugs are responded to immediately, determining the earliest
>> possible release in which they can be fixed.
>>       Confusing features (i.e. surprising behavior) is dealt with as soon as
>> possible. This may be indicative of a problem with the manual.
>
> But bear in mind that many (most?) will not read the manual.
>
>>   Adaptable
>>      The user can choose which features are part of the desktop.
>>      The user can choose the placement of those features on the desktop.
>>   Simple
>>      Simplify the reading of book content. The structure and organization of
>> a book should not get in the way. Some kind of page flipping is suggested.
>
> I don't believe page flipping simplifies the reading of book content.
> I could elaborate on that at length, but I don't think it necessary.

For more on similar things to what drives my opinion of trying to
exactly replicate the book in the hope that it will be more intuitive,
read the following items and make of it what you will:

http://www.openbible.info/blog/2009/03/how-to-get-the-esv-for-free-on-your-iphone-for-a-limited-time/

Pertinent quote: "Since neither the Kindle app nor the Kindle iPhone
is designed for reading the Bible, navigation can be frustrating."

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/kindle-usability-review.html

Pertinent quote: "The usability problem with non-linear content is
crucial because it indicates a deeper issue: Kindle's user experience
is dominated by the book metaphor. The idea that you'd want to start
on a section's first page makes sense for a book because most are
based on linear exposition. Unfortunately, this is untrue for many
other content collections, including newspapers, magazines, and even
some non-fiction books such as travel guides, encyclopedias, and
cookbooks. "

Jon