Orca [Fwd: Re: Thoughts on whereAmI: Quantity of Information]

[Joanmarie Diggs <j-diggs comcast net>]

Hi Sergei, all.  

Sergei:  Thanks so much for chiming in!  As you may or may not be aware,
when you reply to a message on the Orca list, the response goes only to
the original sender.  (I cannot tell you how many times I've done that!)
Therefore I'm forwarding your thoughts to the group for comment, and
further discussion.

Take care.
Joanie

-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: Sergei V.Fleytin <fleytin yandex ru>
To: Joanmarie Diggs <j-diggs comcast net>
Subject: Re: Orca Thoughts on whereAmI: Quantity of Information
Date:   Tue, 24 Oct 2006 22:32:35 +0400

Hello, John and others.

John, I agree with your point concerning the verbosity of WhereAmI'
function, but I think that in certain situation user would need a more
verbose output than the default one (if your suggestions will be
accepted). So I think that we need two commands providing the same
functionality but with different level of verbosity. For instance, if
we press kp-enter once, we would hear just a short description of
where we are. but if we press that same key twice, we would get a more
technical description about the current window.

With best regards,

Sergei. 


> > > > > "JD" == Joanmarie Diggs <j-diggs comcast net> writes:

JD> For those of you who don't hang out on Bugzilla like I do, there
JD> has been some reason discussion and questions about whereAmI
JD> (i.e. what you get when you press KeyPad Enter) and the
JD> implementation of a reverse whereAmI (so that you can hear where
JD> you are without having to listen to things like the name of the
JD> frame you are in).  I started commenting on the relevant RFEs with
JD> my thoughts, but I'm merely one individual.  So I decided instead
JD> to move things here in the hopes of having a broader discussion on
JD> the subject.

JD> In the interest of brevity, I'll keep this message to the existing
JD> whereAmI functionality, and to just one aspect of it: the quantity
JD> of information that is being spoken which, personally, I think is
JD> at times a bit too much.

JD> Example1: I sit down to my computer and don't know where I left
JD> off.  Turns out I'm in OpenOffice.org writer in a document called
JD> Untitled1 on a line which reads "this is a test."  When I press
JD> KeyPad Enter, I would like Orca to reorient me by saying something
JD> like:

JD> "Untiled1 - OpenOffice.org Writer <brief pause> Text <brief pause>
JD> This is a test."

JD> What I get is:

JD> "soffice.bin application Untitled1 - OpenOffice.org Writer frame
JD> Untitled1 - OpenOffice.org Writer root pane paragraph This is a
JD> test. No focus"

JD> Do we really need and/or want to hear the application name and the
JD> full hierarchy along with rolenames?  I, for one, would not.  I
JD> also think all of this information might be rather confusing for
JD> the new user.

JD> Example2: Still sitting down, still don't know where I left off,
JD> still in OOo Writer.  But this time it just so happens that I am
JD> in the File menu, the Wizards submenu, and am currently on Euro
JD> Converter.

JD> What I'd like to hear:

JD> "Untitled1 - OpenOffice.org Writer <brief pause> Euro Converter...
JD> <brief pause> Item 7 of 9 <brief pause> E"

JD> What I get is:

JD> "soffice.bin application Untitled1 - OpenOffice.org Writer frame
JD> Untitled1 - OpenOffice.org Writer root pane menu bar File menu
JD> Wizards menu Item 7 of 9 Euro Converter shortcut Alt fwe"

JD> Let's ignore everything that is already addressed in Example 1
JD> above.  That leaves "File menu Wizards menu Item 7 of 9 Euro
JD> Converter shortcut Alt fwe"

JD> I suppose I can see some value in knowing that Euro Converter is
JD> contained within Wizards which is contained with File and that
JD> File lives on the menu bar.  But if I'm disoriented, my number one
JD> concern is to figure out what I'm currently sitting on.  How on
JD> earth I got there to begin with is something I can worry about
JD> later. <smile>

JD> If I know the name of the window I'm in, that I'm on a menu item,
JD> and what that item's name happens to be, that is often all I need.
JD> With that information, I'm in a position to choose an item in my
JD> current menu or work my way back out to Wizards and then to File.
JD> (And in doing so answer the question of "How did I get here?")
JD> Thus the additional information (full path to the current menu
JD> item along with all the shortcuts I need) is unnecessary -- and,
JD> again for the new user, it may be potentially confusing.

JD> I'm curious as to what others think.

JD> Thanks in advance!!  Joanie

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