[Scribus] Why do?

[Christoph Schäfer]

Am Sonntag, 23. Juli 2006 15:33 schrieb BandiPat:
> Ok, maybe I should have been playing closer attention to how Scribus was
> coming along earlier, because I might could have prevented some of the
> problems I'm starting to see now in 1.3.x!
>
> Can someone please tell me why do the Preferences window and Document
> Setup look so much alike?  The only difference I can see is that
> Document Setup has one extra selection, "Document"!  That should not be
> the case, the two are completely different things for gosh sakes!  Also,
> why isn't there a "Column" selection in the menu?  The only time I've
> seen a selection to make columns is in the initial page setup when you
> start the program.  That, even, is not clear.  Automatic Text Frames?
> What the heck!  I believe most people call them columns in the circles I
> run in at least.  Luckily there is a mention of columns there, but most
> people won't see it because it's hidden under "automatic text frames"!
> And to add insult to injury, have any of you tried to use that?
> Crikey!  Twice now I've tried to create a page with 2 columns & .25" gap
> between them, but what is on the page when it opens?  One full size text
> frame!
>
> Even if you were able to create two from there, what bloody control do
> you have with them in the main window?!?  There is no mention of columns
> or anything related in the menus of the main window!  What the heck were
> you developers thinking about with all this?
>
> Ok, ok, I'll admit, I seem to be ragging pretty hard on Scribus and
> those involved lately, but honestly the program or your thinking seems
> to have gone off in a completely different direction from what started
> out to be a DTP program!
>
> Sorry to sound so critical,
> Pat

Pat,

before you continue with your rants, I strongly suggest you try to read at 
least some of the documentation on docs.scribus.net and wiki.scribus.net. It 
seems you have missed one essential part of Scribus' ui "philosophy", namely 
the properties palette (F2 or right click > properties). If you play around 
with it a bit, you will see most if not all of your issues disappear. I also 
recommend you to have a look at the three major commercial DTP programs 
QuarkXPress, InDesign, and PageMaker instead of some exotics. People who 
switch from any of those to Scribus, usually have few to no difficulties in 
using the program.

Again, reading and using ones brain is more useful than accusing the 
developers of being silly! And for what it's worth, asking questions and 
making suggestions politely is more constructive than cursing and offending 
smart and nice people. You know, the Scribus lists has certain unwritten 
standards of communication and I'm not sure whether your rants are up to 
those standards.


Christoph