Adjustable Clock, Spell Check and Window List applets moved to kdereview

[Emdek]

On 11-10-2009 at 20:55:45 Aaron J. Seigo <aseigo at kde.org> wrote:
> On October 10, 2009, Emdek wrote:
>> On 09-10-2009 at 22:05:03 Aaron J. Seigo <aseigo at kde.org> wrote:
>> > On October 9, 2009, Emdek wrote:
>> >> On 09-10-2009 at 20:19:40 Aaron J. Seigo <aseigo at kde.org> wrote:
>> >> > right clicking is "well known" to trigger a context menu, but other
>> >>
>> >> than
>> >>
>> >> > that
>> >> > special behaviour we try not to overload mouse button clicks with
>> >>
>> >> various
>> >>
>> >> > behaviours. the reason is that these behaviours are not  
>> discoverable
>> >>
>> >> and
>> >>
>> >> > end
>> >> > up with items requiring multi-button mice. fingers tend to only  
>> have
>> >>
>> >> one
>> >>
>> >> > button. ;)
>> >>
>> >> Sure. ;-)
>> >>
>> >> But multi button mouses are something normal (and these with middle
>> >> button
>> >> are something typical for at least five years)
>> >
>> > that's fine; the issue is that when the buttons do different things in
>> > different places it means people have to form complex mental models of
>> > what
>> > causes which action where. this is something people on average suck  
>> at.
>> >
>> > right click works because it's really consistent. right click -> menu.
>> >
>> > add to this that the click behaviours are almost completely
>> > non-discoverable
>> > until you try them. a lot of people still don't know what middle
>> > clicking on a
>> > link in a web browser can do :)
>>
>> But we can't forget about that group of users that wants do a bit more
>> advanced things and finds use of for example middle mouse button as
>> something handy. ;-)
>
> there are a small # of such people. they are the overwhelming minority,
> however. catering to them instead of trying to make things work well  
> using
> non-advanced interaction techniques usually works out better.
>
> and as apple has shown time and again, even advanced users actually  
> appreciate
> that approach as well.
>
> iow, this "advanced things that advanced users like" idea is largely a  
> myth.

This is not about liking or not somehow hidden or less accessible things  
but more to make it less complex for typical user that don't need to know  
about them to make use of application.
Sometimes they even should be hidden (to not confuse some users) but not  
removed because some users will still need them.
In many cases use of middle button is simply simplest solution. ;-)
I can imagine alternatives like:
- pressing mouse button with modifier key - the same or slightly more  
hidden for user;
- configuration option to select behavior for left button - unneeded  
complexity;
- using small action icon - not sure if makes big sense and doesn't  
confuse if there is only one action;


>> By the way, is it possible to have documentation (handbook) for users  
>> for
>> applets?
>
> yes; we don't have a way to get to it from the widget itself, however.
> something that needs to be added still.

Any volunteers to add this (I'm already busy...)? ;-)


>> There could be placed information about these invisible features.
>
> while a good idea, we should be aware that rather few people read such
> documentation very thoroughly.

Sure, but without documentation they have no chance to do that. :-D
But even if for example only 3% of users will read it this doesn't mean  
that we should never add less discoverable features if they are more  
hidden to not confuse larger part of users but will satisfy that small  
amount that uses documentation not only to waste hard disc space.