Re: UI Rantings [was: Re: gmc and file-selection mockups]

["James M. Cape" <jcape jcinteractive com>]

"Jesse D. Sightler" wrote:
> 
> "James M. Cape" wrote:
> 
> > > Ok, so you think that using the context menu of a file is a bad habit for
> > > printing?  Please explain to me what is bad about it.  Go into detail about
> > > this, too, as I really don't see the problem here.
> >
> > Because it shouldn't be there! Open != Printing! Opening an Open Dialog
> > to print a file is not the correct way to do it, because it promotes a
> > bad habit (like putting spaces in created directories). Best to leave it
> > out, so new users don't pick it up.
> 
> Notice my remark again, "using the context menu of a file".  I said
> nothing about the open dialog.  If files are to have context menus, and
> it is my belief that they should, then they should be consistent.

Ummm, the idea of Context menus is that they are related to their
context. I'm sure quite a few users would wonder why "Print" is in the
same context as an Open Dialog.

> > Crossover is not a good thing.
> 
> And again, you statement is one of philosophy, and mine is purely
> pragmatic.  Even a button to open gmc adds overhead to the process (time
> to open a new window, etc).  My technique is efficient, and consistent.
> 
> -----------
> Jesse D. Sightler

All Design is Philosophy. Your Philosophy is Kitchen Sink. Designs based
on that Philosophy is nearly always considered to be cluttered,
fettered, and unusable. That's not a good thing, no matter how used to
clutter you are.

Your technique may be efficient *for you*, and may be consistent with
the way you used Windows, but is not consistent with the basic idea of
an Open Dialog. (i.e. You open a file with it.)

    Jim Cape
    http://www.jcinteractive.com

    "All animals are equal, some animals
     are more equal than others."
         -- George Orwell, Animal Farm