The label “Activities” for the management (overview) mode has always bothered me. It’s inaccurate, confusing, and too complex.
Which doesn’t fit?
- Activity
- App
- File
- Window
Convoluted ideas have complex names. Clear ideas have simple names. The complexity of the name of the Activities mode is due to its complicated purpose. It’s a management mode that allows a user to manage apps and windows. It defaults to the window manager when windows are open. The app drawer on the dock is a sub-menu that activates the application manager. This nesting is nonsensical and slows the user down. These two distinct modes are being nested to create a false sense of simplicity. In practice, “Activities” is confusing. “Activity” isn’t a term that people associate with computers. (Nobody says, “Begin an activity by clicking on an app icon.”)
Window and app management are both compromised in GNOME.
It’s annoying to have to go into the app drawer just to launch an app. I don’t need to see my open windows or the workspace windows. They’re distractions. I don’t want a dock (dash) filled with tons of apps either.
When I’m managing windows, I don’t need a search bar or a dock. The windows are marked with app icons, so I know what apps are open. If I want to quit an app, I use the app menu’s Quit command.
Another indication this design is flawed is the app drawer button on the dock. It’s inconsistent with the other objects on the dock, which are apps. Android used to have an app drawer button too, but Google removed it. Consistency would make the dock easier to use.
The “Activities” label could be changed to “Manage”, but that’s too vague. (Manage what?) Splitting the mode into two modes, Apps and Windows, would make things much easier. “App” and "window"are two of the most basic terms in computing. The two modes would also be less cluttered.
The hot corner would have to be disabled, which would be good. Hot corners aren’t intuitive. Why would a user ever think that a corner has special importance? It’s not common. What other apps use hot corners? File managers? Video players? No.
The shortcut keys for each mode would be changeable.
Related reported issues:
Rethink name of “Activities” button (why not e.g. “Overview”?)
Consider replacing ‘Activites’ with ‘Overview’
My gitlab report:
The Activities (overview) mode should be split into two modes, Apps and Windows