Preferences

[Terry Boldt]

I reread Derek Atkins' reply to my email and another statement stood out for 
me:

>In general, preferences are bad.  The fact remains that there is
>already a way to do what you want; the fact you don't like it is
>reegrettable.

Does the above statement really reflect the sentiments of the gnuash developer 
community about 'preferences'? That "In general, preferences are bad." That the gnucash developer community really knows what every gnucash user should do in using a financial s/w package? and that the gnucash developer community knows exactly how every gnucash user should conduct their financial affairs and that they can develop gnucash so that all users can do just that? And thus 'preferences' are bad because the s/w is written so that 'preferences' are not needed? Or have I mis-interpreted the statement?

I had always considered it exactly the opposite, that "preferences" are highly 
desirable. Without preferences, the user is "stuck" with doing everything 
exactly the way that the developer says things should be done. Now that 
assumes that the developer knows absolutely the best way to do things for 
absolutely every user. Kind of like Levi saying that we will manufacture only 
one style of Levi's and only one size. Everybody with a waist over 36" should 
lose weight and everybody under 36" should excercise and beefup.

Is the gnucash developer community really working to eliminate the 
'preferences' dialog?

Again, I would have thought exactly the opposite to be true, that is, make the 
s/w as customizable as possible by the user. That means that the 
"preferences" dialog would have to expand to accomodate the desire to 
customize to suit the users "preferences" and style of working rather than 
the user having to change to meet the style of working enforced by the s/w.

General Motors designed and manufactured an adjustable steering wheel column 
in my van precisely because they finally realized that they could sell more 
vans to more people that way. The van adjusts to the driver rather than vice 
versa.The adjustable steerng wheel is one item on the vans "preferences" 
dialog. Adjustable rear view mirrors is another, adjustable seating, etc, 
etc.