I don't agree that there should be some standard layout - it should be based entirely on the user's preference - so emacs, vi, or whatever you like should be possible. The flaw is that every app decides it's own keybindings, and ignores the preference the user has set for his system.
Rather than a standard, we need a better API abstraction for keybinding, where users can control their keybindings from a single point, and it'll affect all their apps at once. App developers shouldn't tie functionality to specific keys, but to some abstract keys which the user controls.
I use Dvorak layout, but I generally prefer the conventional key locations for common tasks. So for example, cua-mode in emacs, I expect undo/cut/copy/paste to be in the locations of z,x,c,v on qwerty, except they're ;qjk on dvorak. It's awkward to make each app support this configuration - particularly when they all require a different language to configure.
Also, when a user configures his layout, he should be able to specify whether individual applications can override those keybindings or not - apps should request key combinations rather than assume they're available.
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The personality types is an interesting thought, but I don't think it's really a big deal, because if you can't predict people, you just need to set a trend and make them predictable :p.
The editor wars are really blown out of proportion because of popularity or fashion rather than their technical merits. People are emotionally attached to their tools and aren't interested in the other anyway. I mean, who has the time to learn both emacs and vi enough to compare them objectively anyway? I've not used vi enough to really assess it's capabilities.
Maybe the personality type could give an indicator of a default setting for developers to put in. I'd be surprised if there's no research in this area, considering every desktop developer claims "we're building what users want after conducting usability tests." (I'd like to know who the audience for GNOME's testing was.)
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I do hope tiling features will make it into desktop systems. Bluetile is an interesting example for gnome integration, although completely broken for gnome3.
Another interesting app is Opera. Their tabs have been based on MDI since day one (mid 90s). It basically has it's own internal WM, which includes some tiling features. (Opera's initial tabs were really tiles before they became the tabs we all know now.)
I think the other desktop environments are a bit slow on the takeup with tiling, and it's perhaps come to a grinding halt with the focus on tablets and touch now. We probably need to start experimenting with introducing touch into our tiling WMs to support heterogeneous inputs rather than exclusively keyboard too.
Probably the biggest joy about tiling WMs is that they're not some fixed system we're forced into using by the trendsetters, but they're more like APIs for developing your own personalized WM in. Until we build some customization abilities that don't require modifying code though, they probably won't become too popular - only minor features leaking into other systems.
Rather than a standard, we need a better API abstraction for keybinding, where users can control their keybindings from a single point, and it'll affect all their apps at once. App developers shouldn't tie functionality to specific keys, but to some abstract keys which the user controls.
I use Dvorak layout, but I generally prefer the conventional key locations for common tasks. So for example, cua-mode in emacs, I expect undo/cut/copy/paste to be in the locations of z,x,c,v on qwerty, except they're ;qjk on dvorak. It's awkward to make each app support this configuration - particularly when they all require a different language to configure.
Also, when a user configures his layout, he should be able to specify whether individual applications can override those keybindings or not - apps should request key combinations rather than assume they're available.
---
The personality types is an interesting thought, but I don't think it's really a big deal, because if you can't predict people, you just need to set a trend and make them predictable :p.
The editor wars are really blown out of proportion because of popularity or fashion rather than their technical merits. People are emotionally attached to their tools and aren't interested in the other anyway. I mean, who has the time to learn both emacs and vi enough to compare them objectively anyway? I've not used vi enough to really assess it's capabilities.
Maybe the personality type could give an indicator of a default setting for developers to put in. I'd be surprised if there's no research in this area, considering every desktop developer claims "we're building what users want after conducting usability tests." (I'd like to know who the audience for GNOME's testing was.)
---
I do hope tiling features will make it into desktop systems. Bluetile is an interesting example for gnome integration, although completely broken for gnome3.
Another interesting app is Opera. Their tabs have been based on MDI since day one (mid 90s). It basically has it's own internal WM, which includes some tiling features. (Opera's initial tabs were really tiles before they became the tabs we all know now.)
I think the other desktop environments are a bit slow on the takeup with tiling, and it's perhaps come to a grinding halt with the focus on tablets and touch now. We probably need to start experimenting with introducing touch into our tiling WMs to support heterogeneous inputs rather than exclusively keyboard too.
Probably the biggest joy about tiling WMs is that they're not some fixed system we're forced into using by the trendsetters, but they're more like APIs for developing your own personalized WM in. Until we build some customization abilities that don't require modifying code though, they probably won't become too popular - only minor features leaking into other systems.