Hello!

I've been sitting on the sidelines of the LiteStep Community for a while
now - only a few people here know me, so consider this my official
"Hiya" to the community, as well as some thoughts that have distilled
over the last year and a half.

My background: previously a Software Test Engineer / Consultant to
Microsoft on a variety of products (NT 3.0 & MSN being the largest)
since 1991, but now changing careers and getting into the
Telecommunications / Internet Infrastructure industry as a Network
Technician. First "real" compunter job was working at Lawrence Berkeley
Labs as a Systems Operator on their CDC SuperComputers in 1979..yes,
I've been at this stuff for way too long.

I've been using LiteStep since around october of 1998, when it was
really cool to see a new theme come out. LiteStep, from what I have
seen, has come a LONG way from what it was only 1.5 years ago. I'm glad
to see that things are progressing with it, and that the interest in
LiteStep is growing; however, the recent debacle concering
"PokPok/Reychal" and his/her review of LiteStep at MaximumPC.com has
caused me to come forward with my concerns. Most of them are centered
around not LiteStep itself, but the people responsible for putting
different faces on LiteStep - the Themers.

Theme Creation (is "Themeing" a proper word??) has evolved as the
feature set for LiteStep and it's attendand modules has expanded, giving
Themers the ability to do more, add more gadgets and gee-gaws and add
(or in some cases, remove) functionality to LiteStep and the user's
experience with their PC. Unfortunately, there have been quite a few
themes that have come out recently that make rather broad assumptions as
to the configuration and/or existing software load for the "Target
System" (the system that the user is installing LiteStep and/or the
related theme). Some are merely cosmetic (the excusion of an Icon if
pre-built icons or buttons are used in the theme), others can cause
functionality problems that will hinder the user's ability to get work
done (i.e. incorrect CLSID information for "Control Panel" or "My
Computer"), while others are merely brain-dead decisions of the Themer
(making suppositions that the end-user will have a Hard Drive with the
letter D: and that Netscape is installed there, or that the user doesn't
use WinAmp but uses Windows Media Player or Sonique).

I know that there was a discussion a while ago concerning Theme
Standards, but as I recall there was only discussion as to how themes
were to be incorporated and not how Themes *should* be done. There are
some absolutely stunning themes out there, but it would really be a
shame if LiteStep's reputation was to be lowered if a poorly executed
theme was to be used in a much more visible review than the one provided
by PokPok/Reychal (thank goodness the Wired staffer who did the article
on LiteStep knew where to go and knew who to talk to!).

So, with my scant bit of experience in the Software world, I'd like to
make some recommendations to the Themers in the audience, and to anyone
considering creating any new Themes or updating your existing Themes.

1) Never make assumptions as to a Target System's hardware configuation
outside of the following  facts

a. They will have an A:\ Drive and a C:\ drive
b. All of their programs will be installed on the C:
c. If the user's Installed software is on drives and directories other
than the defaults for those programs, give the user a little help in the
STEP.RC file by using our friend the ";" to show them where to make
changes, or make very easy-to-follow docs.

2) Never assume that they will have programs like PhotoShop; if you want
to give out the .PSD files, do that separately. Assume that the only
image editing program they have is Paint.exe. If you want, include
PaintShop Pro in your Theme distribution to allow them to edit their own
Icons.

3) Never assume that they are running a Voodoo or an nVidia or BrandXYZ
Video Card, so don't include items or shortcuts/wharftiles for any
specific hardware.

4) Never assume that they are using any particular soundcard. Same as #3

5) If your theme includes a Wharf or desktop wth wharf-like featurss
(including shortcuts), either package as many icons for as many
applications as you can think of or provide such items as a generic item
(spreadsheet, database, image editing, etc) - don't try to have
application-specific items if you can get away from it (i.e. don't
assume that your customer is going to use 3D-FTP or BulletProof FTP -
just provide a generic FTP item or consider getting icons for every
single FTP program that's availavble). If your shorcuts/wharf/hotspots
are text-based, include a base copy of the shortcut/wharftile/hotspot
*and* the font you used to help them keep things looking consistent.

6) Produce your Theme on the premise that it will be used by the highest
common denominator of users with the lowest common denominator of skills
or abilities to make changes or tweaks to the STEP.RC or other
configuration files.

7) Never convert your existing LiteStep environment straight-across as a
LiteStep Theme without taking items 1 through 6 under consideration.

8) Always include a tool that will allow them to go back to the Windows
Shell (LSEnabler or ShellSwitcher are excellent choices)

9) Consider including either LSCP or LSTweaker to help users with their
configuration - that is if your theme includes a Wharf. If your theme
doesn't use the Wharf then considr writtin a lengthy HTML doc explaining
your theme and how to configure it.

10) Don't be guilty of "Module-Bloat" - one of LiteStep's claims is that
LiteStep is smaller & faster than SHELL32.DLL - don't make it lie by
adding way too many modules.

11) Documentation, Documentation, Documentation!

12) Make your theme easy to modify. Do *not* make it as a testament to
your superior skills, with the exception of using those skills to make
your theme effortless and easy to customize.

I am not trying  to bash any particular themes or Themers, but several
recent themes that I have seen and tried are guilty of breaking at least
8 of these 11 guidelines, and a new user to LiteStep would be in the
same perdicament as Reychal found him/herself in. Using LiteStep should
liberate a user from SHELL32.DLL while not enslaving them to a
non-working shell that looked really cool in the screenshot but failed
to deliver.

Additionally, I am wondering if there has been any formal or even ad-hoc
testing procedures or even any testing guidelines formulated outside of
"if it's broke, fix it - if it's not broke, don't touch it". Also, is
there a current bug database for LiteStep?

In conclusion, I'd like to offer my experience in Software Testing to
the community in any way that I can. I hope that my Theme
recommendations are taken in the spirit they are given - to help us all.
Also, if #litestep or any of the other LS-related IRC Channels would
ever want to move to another IRC Network, please feel free to come to
the IRC Network that I'm root on - irc.webchat.org. I already have a
#litestep channel there, but it's more of a curiosity-thing for the
users there at this time. Look for me there in #litestep or #spiderslair
as ScottK

Comments/criticism/flames accepted....Thanks!

Scott Kindorf