Unify how we refer to KRunner
Closed, ResolvedPublic

Description

In some places, KRunner is referred to as "Run Command" which is inaccurate because that's only one of its many functions, and it's a verb-based action string which in some contexts is misleading (e.g. in the KWin Touch Screen KCM's action chooser, where the user naturally asks "how do I choose which command it will run?").

In other places it's referred to as "Plasma Search" or "Search Bar" which is also only one of its many functions, and introduces even more inconsistency, impeding users' ability to know these are all the same thing.

All of these terms also suffer from being generic-sounding, and they help neither expert users who know it as KRunner, nor novice users who do not gain accurate information about what it is by having it referred to using inconsistent, inaccurate, and generic terminology.

I propose that we embrace KRunner's real name and use it (e.g. "Show KRunner", "Configure KRunner", etc), and then consistently use this terminology everywhere. Basically we make KRunner a brand like Apple did with their similar Spotlight tool.

ngraham created this task.May 22 2019, 1:32 PM
ngraham updated the task description. (Show Details)May 22 2019, 1:39 PM
ognarb added a subscriber: ognarb.May 22 2019, 2:17 PM
ngraham closed this task as Resolved.May 22 2019, 6:20 PM
ngraham moved this task from To Do to Done on the Plasma board.

Welp, all done.

ngraham triaged this task as Normal priority.May 22 2019, 6:20 PM
ngraham moved this task from Backlog/Planned to Done on the VDG board.
mart reopened this task as Open.EditedJul 20 2020, 9:59 AM
mart added a subscriber: mart.

I ask to reconsider this.
KRunner is a terrible jargon name, which is perfectly ok for a framework, but that's it.

"Search" or "search and launch" are good names for it. Even if it doesn't describe everything it does, is irrelevant, at least it gives an idea what that menu entry in the context menu will do, intead of being incomprehensible jargon

In my mind, "KRunner" is a brand name, like the name of an app. I see it as closer to "Dolphin" than for example "Purpose framework". My time in the Apple world exposed me to a similar feature called "Spotlight" which is used as a brand name and exposed to users with that name in the UI. KRunner is basically the same feature, so it seemed natural to similarly advertise it by its real name. I don't see this causing any problems for Apple in macOS.

As for whether "KRunner" is a good name or a bad name, I know that I haven't been around in KDE as long as you have, but I personally think KRunner is a perfectly decent name--certainly no worse than "KSysGuard" or "KMenuEdit". I heard people continuously praising KRunner before I switched to Plasma and then found it somewhat odd that it wasn't actually referred to with this name anywhere despite the fact that all the people using it called it that.

I think I agree with Nate here, it is a terrible K name and I've always avoided those but it's also an advanced users feature and those advanced users tend to be fine with K names. "KSysGuard" name should die though.

mart added a comment.Jul 22 2020, 10:41 AM

There are several arguments against it:

  • the thing that triggered my attention on it is the desktop context menu entry: usually context menus should have actions and description of what the action does as text
  • it's an advanced user feature, but to a point, as the desktop context menu button is pretty reachable and in your face, and "Show KRunner" doesn't tell the user anything on what that menu is going to do, except "stay away form this entry, it's dangerous" to any non advanced user that follows kde-related news and things since quite a while.
  • Also the comparison with Spotlight only works up to a point, as when it came out it was pretty central in the super well crafted and omnipresent Apple advertisements, which had the secondary function of being "training material" for it which we don't really have.

If we want to have a "brand" there, it should at least be a decent one, that retains a bit of descriptivity ("Search and Launch" was used to an extent in the past for instance), but for sure not an ugly KName (well, even ksysguard doesn't have to remain named this ugly way, the rewrite could be an occasion to name it less horribly)

(well, even ksysguard doesn't have to remain named this ugly way, the rewrite could be an occasion to name it less horribly)

And is, in fact, what we will be doing. FWIW the KSysGuard UI actually already does not refer to itself as "KSysGuard" but calls itself "System Monitor".

the thing that triggered my attention on it is the desktop context menu entry:

FYI, the systemsettings entry also changed, that's far more user facing.

Copying my comment from bugzilla:

"krunner" use is already released in 5.17 onwards.
Whilst I didn't necessarily like the change, another change again now means a new set of user interruptions and relearning which I'm even more against. We shouldn't flip-flop on things that affect the end user.

mart added a comment.Jul 31 2020, 5:22 PM

the thing that triggered my attention on it is the desktop context menu entry:

FYI, the systemsettings entry also changed, that's far more user facing.

Copying my comment from bugzilla:

"krunner" use is already released in 5.17 onwards.
Whilst I didn't necessarily like the change, another change again now means a new set of user interruptions and relearning which I'm even more against. We shouldn't flip-flop on things that affect the end user.

eh, the kcm rename yeah, it's even worse indeed

ngraham closed this task as Resolved.Sep 18 2020, 12:51 AM

FWIW I don't think we've received a single complaint resulting from this. At least, not that I've heard. Since people hate flip-flopping on UI changes even more, let's close this for now and re-evaluate later. Sorry Marco. :)