desktop backgrounds [was Re: Fedora-desktop-list Digest, Vol 6, Issue 23]

[Angela Kahealani]

On Sunday 2004-08-29 21:51, Mark McLoughlin wrote:
> 	Fedora has its own artwork, Rubi suggested a new desktop background,
> you ranted about the icons on his desktop.

I did not rant... you passed judgement upon my opinion that it was a 
"rant". He asked for OPINIONS, I gave mine. He got what he asked for.

As for "desktop"s, the best desktop is a simple neutral 50% grey...
it's the ONLY background that will not pollute your color perception of
anything else showing on the screen. If you're not doing serious color 
sensitive work, but merely like eye-candy, then you're dealing with 
very personal preferences, and have forsaken color correct perception.
If you're editing / color correcting graphics or video, you need a
neutral grey surround, and monitor color temperature calibration and 
gamma compensation appropriate for the target medium, either print or 
NTSC video or computer video. 

So, artwork on the desktop cannot be taken seriously, as any serious 
rational approach can only lead where I went in the previous paragraph.
Therefore, as someone once said: "I don't know much about art, but I do 
know what I like". Rubi solicited opinions, and got what he asked for. 
Art being non rational and of widely varying tastes, it's no wonder 
that most "desktop" software ships with a wide variety of sample 
backgrounds, so yeah, go ahead and include it as one of those. Great.

My desktop will remain a rarely seen neutral 50% grey, mostly only seen 
as a surround for Gimp work when I bother to hide all other open 
windows in order to obtain collor correct perception of what I'm 
editing in the Gimp. 

If Rubi wants an evaluation of the artwork, it would be better to send 
it without iconic overlays, allowing us to install and test it on our 
own desktops... but as he submitted it to us, it WAS a piece of artwork 
that included a TradeMarked icon that could not be conveniently or 
easily removed for evaluation of the art on its' own merit. 

Icons invoke associations. Include them in artwork upon which opinions 
are requested, and the opinion will be colored with the association 
invoked by the icon, just as a non grey surround alters color 
perception of an image in a window that does not fill the screen.

Are we having fun yet?

-- 
Copyright 2004 Angela Kahealani. All rights reserved without prejudice; 
UCC1-207. All information and transactions are non negotiable and are 
private between the parties. http://www.kahealani.com/