Re: Standardization of Function Keys

["Jasper St. Pierre" <jstpierre mecheye net>]

On Sun, Jul 15, 2012 at 10:30 PM, Trans <transfire gmail com> wrote:
> On Sun, Jul 15, 2012 at 10:03 PM, Jasper St. Pierre
> <jstpierre mecheye net> wrote:
>> On Sun, Jul 15, 2012 at 9:56 PM, Trans <transfire gmail com> wrote:
>>> On Thu, Jul 12, 2012 at 9:14 AM, Jasper St. Pierre
>>> <jstpierre mecheye net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> So now the rules are "F1-F12 map to the first twelve unchanging items
>>>> in the menu"? How am I supposed to know what those are, other than
>>>> blind guessing?
>>>
>>> You would look at them. You would still be able to click them with a mouse.
>>
>> I don't understand.
>
> Sorry, I am not sure what the confusion is. The menus at the top of
> the window can be seen (typically).

I meant the items in a menu. So, if "File" is the first menu, and
"New" is the first item inside of it, then the keystroke becomes "F1,
F1". But if the keystroke changes depending on what's available,
muscle memory fails me, and I have to actively look at what I'm
pressing.

Well-defined shortcuts are much better.

>>>> I use F5 in a web browser for refresh. I don't think I'm alone in this.
>>>
>>> Ah, yes, I forgot about that one. I've used it once or twice. I think
>>> that it most commonly used by web developers. Obviously that is useful
>>> in web browsers, but seeing it use is mostly for technical users, it
>>> would easy for them to transition to, for instance, CTRL+F5.
>>
>> No it wouldn't. Not to mention that Ctrl+F5 already means "clear the
>> cache for all assets refreshed on this page, and then refresh".
>
> Sure it would. Everyone had to adjust to completely new way of
> navigating the desktop in the transition from Gnome 2 to Gnome 3. This
> is nothing compared to that. A few shortcuts that only very technical
> specialists know can easily be remapped. I've been programming for 25
> years and have never once used CTRL+F5 in any capacity that I can
> recollect. I'm absolutely sure no average user has any idea about it
> either. In fact, they probably would have a hard time even
> understanding what you were talking about.
>
> I think its important not to give preference to what you personally
> know and are used to versus what could be a general improvement for
> everyone.

I've been programming for close to 12 years now. I rarely use menus at
all. They have usability issues. Lots of complicated submenus require
pinpoint precision, and if you misclick, you have to start the entire
thing over.

-- 
  Jasper