Re: Modeless dialogs in the shell (design and implementation)

[Vishnoo <drkvi-a yahoo com>]

On Mon, 2010-09-27 at 21:44 +0200, Milan Bouchet-Valat wrote:
> See how the Windows Vista's UAC authentication thing is
> perceived as disruptive by users (it locks the whole desktop with a dim
> effect).

AFAIK, Its because the Windows Vista UAC was over-eager at prompting for
every system change big and small. Not for just doing the lock. 
Which seems to have improved in Win7, far lesser number of prompts now.

>  In Ubuntu we had gksu, which also locked the whole desktop, and
> the move to PolicyKit made authentication much smoother IMHO.
> 
On the contrary, I find it annoying. 
If I'v selected to download an app from Software Center, it takes a
couple of secs before the policykit prompt comes up. By that time i
would have switched to another window, thinking its installing. 
But, Its just hung there with a policykit prompt. 

> There's no need to prevent user from switching to another application
> when authenticating. 

If some application /is/ waiting for user input to proceed further, it
*needs* to notify user asap, not just keep waiting for the user to come
back.

As a user, *I* should not have to make sure myself that things are going
right or progressing. Rather the application needs to tell me its
waiting for me.

-- 
Cheers,
Vish