On Wed, Jul 23, 2025 at 4:02 AM Lucy <luc...@diplomats.com> wrote: > > Dear Debian Developers, > > With the upcoming release of Debian 13 "Trixie", I want to formally raise a > critical technical objection to one of the adopted upstream changes that > risks undermining the efficiency, > consistency, and user trust that Debian has long upheld: > > KDE Plasma 6's decision to enforce double-click as the default behavior for > file interaction. > > This change, introduced by KDE's upstream maintainers and publicly promoted > by Nate Graham, is not a neutral adjustment. > It constitutes a user experience regression that actively degrades workflow > efficiency for advanced users and developers, > and contradicts Debian's historical role as a distribution that respects user > autonomy and practicality over cosmetic defaults. > > I strongly urge the Debian Desktop Team to consider overriding this default > or at minimum providing an opt-in mechanism at installation time. > > 1. Debian's strength lies in curating, not copying upstream > > Debian has always stood apart from downstream-focused distributions by > selectively integrating upstream changes with measured technical analysis. > It is not a passive consumer of upstream ideology, but a quality-assured > platform chosen by professionals for its predictability, stability, and > neutrality. > Blind adoption of upstream defaults - especially those that alter > foundational user interaction - weakens Debian’s credibility and purpose. > > 2. The double-click change is functionally regressive > > Single-click has been the KDE default for over a decade for good reasons: > faster navigation, better alignment with web behavior, fewer repetitive > motions, and improved accessibility. > These are not stylistic preferences - they are functional enhancements that > streamline system interaction and reduce friction, particularly for > touchpads, tablets, and users with motor impairments. > > By reverting to double-click, KDE imposes a Windows-centric behavior that > Linux users specifically chose to escape. > This move undermines consistency across environments and introduces needless > inefficiencies. > > 3. "New user friendliness" is not a Debian design principle > > Debian is not a first-time-user distro. It is not designed as a graphical > showcase for simplicity. It is trusted by system administrators, developers, > educators, and research institutions for the exact opposite reason: Debian > does not get in the way. It does not presume. It does not hide critical > behavior behind abstraction. > > Imposing Windows-like interaction paradigms on users who expect control and > speed is a misreading of Debian's audience. > Beginners who truly need a guided UI likely use Ubuntu, Mint, or Fedora > Spins. Debian is where users go once they understand what they want. > > 4. Combined with Wayland, this shift further fragments usability > > Wayland is now being shipped by default in KDE 6, despite known limitations > with multi-display, remote workflows, legacy software, and graphical tablet > support. > Forcing a double-click interaction model on top of an unproven display stack > compounds the frustration for advanced users who depend on muscle memory and > low-friction environments. > The KDE 6 user experience, as it stands, is becoming less deterministic, less > efficient, and more ideologically driven. > > 5. Proposal: restore or prompt for interaction mode > > The double-click default should be reverted in the Debian KDE task, or at the > very least - users should be prompted during installation to select their > preferred interaction model: > > "Open files/folders with single click" (recommended) > > "Open files/folders with double click" (for compatibility with legacy > behavior) > > This approach preserves user agency and allows Debian to maintain its > position as a system of choice, not a system of instruction. > > 6. Debian must remain a power-user OS by default > > The current KDE direction reflects a trend toward aesthetic conformity, not > technical clarity. By accepting these defaults uncritically, > Debian signals its willingness to accommodate upstream opinion over > downstream needs. > This undermines the distribution's identity and weakens the confidence of > users who expect Debian to stand apart from one-size-fits-all design. > > Conclusion > > This is not about nostalgia. It is not about UI philosophy. It is about > maintaining a distribution that respects user control, offers consistency, > and avoids regressions in fundamental system behavior. > > Debian has always been the distribution for people who think before they > click. The current KDE double-click default is a click without thinking. > Please act now to correct this before release. > > Sincerely, > Lucy S.
This shows up as being 98% AI-generated according to GPTZero [1]. If this really matters to you, why are you using an AI slop generator to write your petition? All this does is waste time and annoy people. I can see why people would use LLMs for translating emails or for polishing text, but I wish there was a rule against emails to the Debian mailing lists in which the meaningful portion of the content is AI-generated. (Repost because I accidentally sent this off-list the first time...) [1] https://gptzero.me/
