Re: Downloader UI Rationales

[Adam Hooper <adamh densi com>]

David Adam Bordoley wrote:
> Adam Hooper writes:
>
> > Hrm. How about a 'Go -> Open Download Folder' or 'View -> Open 
> > Download Folder' or 'File -> Open Download Folder' action, with a 
> > corresponding toolbar button?
>
>
> I really don't want to do this, in particular because ideally i see the 
> downloader being a seperate entity from the web browser itself. 
> dave

You're right. But I'd say that by far the #1 issue in Epiphany CVS right 
now is that I don't know what's happening when I click a link. I use 
Epiphany for hours each day, and it clashes with my concept of what a 
browser should do.

PDFs open straight away -- this is GREAT.

But sometimes I click on a small file and... nothing happens. I wait and 
wait and I click the link two more times and then I check my home 
directory and notice that yes, it downloaded without telling me (three 
times)... but worse, there are other files that I don't even recognize 
in there! They were mis-clicks from hours ago that I wasn't even aware of.

And when I realize I've clicked on a link by accident... I kind of tense 
up, like, "uh-oh... did I click on Stop im time? What has the browser 
gone and done now?" Then I've got to open a terminal (or Nautilus 
window) and look through my download directory, making sure I haven't 
downloaded something I don't want.

And that's all beside the problem of downloading files which are awfully 
named on the server (which probably happens on over 25% of all 
downloads). With conventional downloading, even if I leave the name the 
same, at least I've seen it: if I click on a nice-looking link and it 
downloads a file with an ambiguous or meaningless name (let's take some 
real-world examples lying on my hard drive: 261a96.ps, R64838.EXE, 
Setup.exe, README), at least through clicking on the "Ok" button in the 
file selector I'd see the filename and confirm that yes, I actually 
don't mind adding a file called R64838.EXE to my home directory. The way 
Epiphany is now, I may know I've downloaded the file but not know what 
the file *is*.

This is a shame, because I strongly agree that the conventional "save 
download" dialog box is both counterintuitive and annoying. But at least 
I'd know what to expect when I click on a link. Right now, I click 
around less than I would otherwise. I'm more cautious. And I'd consider 
myself a power user... what about normal people?

This is an evil rant. I apologize. I'll try and top it off with some 
possible suggestions... brainstorming, really, because I think that's 
necessary.

- Maybe a single dialog when you click on a link: "Open", "Save" (to 
download folder), "Cancel".
- Maybe oblige the download manager to pop up for at least a second or 
two, even for tiny downloads which finish in under a second.
- Maybe make download behavior a preference: "Let Epiphany determine 
what you want to do" vs. "Ask what you want to do"

... that's the best I can come up with. Sorry :).

--
Adam Hooper
adamh densi com