Separate Widget palette

[Earthednet-wp]

Folks,
Some of the software I use has a "views" menu that shows a list of "columns" or items that appear on a specific palette or screen. I wonder if such a menu might be convenient in this case. The user could choose "basic", "extended", "All" or whatever. I can sympathize with Richmond's desire, for programming education purposes, to have a tools palette that shows only the controls he wants his kids to see.

Even better, for his purposes, maybe an app that kids load to start, that loads a custom tools palette and hides the default one we all see. Then the kids aren't distracted by the wonderful bells and whistles that most of us want available, front and center.

Just my 2cents.
Best,
Bill

William Prothero
http://es.earthednet.org

> On Mar 20, 2016, at 9:14 AM, Richard Gaskin <ambassador at fourthworld.com> wrote:
> 
> Richmond wrote:
> 
>>> On 20.03.2016 17:41, Richard Gaskin wrote:
>>> Has Adobe's patent on dockable tabbed palettes expired yet?
>>> http://www.cnet.com/news/adobe-wins-macromedia-patent-suit/
>> "a feature that allows users of design software to rearrange the
>> work space on the PC screen."
>> Ha, Ha, Ha: I really wonder how that can be patented. Every time
>> I open Livecode on a small monitor I rearrange the work space by,
>> for instance, moving revTools palette somewhere other than where
>> it appears when I start up LiveCode.
> 
> That's why a patent includes details beyond its one-line summary.  The patent is very specific; most workspace rearrangements are not infringements. And it may even be that it's expired by now, since it was filed back in the '90s and Adobe isn't Disney so they don't have the power to single-handledly revise US IP law at will.
> 
> But patented it was indeed:  Adobe was awarded US$2.8 million for that "willful" infringement.
> 
> And ironically, Adobe later acquired Macromedia so the cost to Macromedia for that payment became effectively just part of the company's purchase price.  Minus attorney's fees Adobe ultimately took a big loss on that, much as Apple has in their patent suits against Samsung (which is no doubt why they've since called a truce on all future patent litigation with them).
> 
> Whether patents are destroying our software economy or helping it is something I'll leave for others to debate.
> 
> My main point in posting this was that it's at once entertaining and frightening to consider the broad scope of patents that may affect out work, giving rise to this joke I've heard in some dev circles:
> 
> Q: How many people does it take to write a line of code?
> 
> A: Three.
> 
>   One programmer to write the line of code.
> 
>   One attorney to check that line of code against existing
>   patents in all applicable jurisdictions.
> 
>   And another attorney to file a new patent on that line of
>   code to be used for defensive purposes.
> 
> ;)
> 
> -- 
> - Richard Gaskin
>  Fourth World Systems
>  wwww.fourthworld.com
> 
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