Re: Comments on dialog proposal

[Adam Elman <aelman users sourceforge net>]

At 11:46 PM +0100 9/5/01, colin z robertson wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 05, 2001 at 11:14:42AM -0700, Maciej Stachowiak wrote:
> >  I understand that you were confused in the case you describe. I think
> >  in time users will be less confused when instant-apply settings
> >  dialogs become the norm (they will assume all settings apply instantly
> >  unless some signal says otherwise).
>
> I must confess, while reading through this entire thread I have been
> mystified. And thoroughly so. I am mystified by two things: Firstly,
> by the assumption that instant-apply dialogs will become the norm, and
> secondly, by the belief that they should become the norm.
>
> Apple have recommended instant-apply dialogs for MacOS X, have they
> not? But Apple are not Microsoft, and 10% market share is not 90%
> market share. So why will this make instant-apply the norm?

I don't think we should be worrying about "the norm" as it applies to 
the industry as a whole; we should worry about GNOME applications and 
what we _want_ to be the case.

As Maciej noted, by "become the norm" here he means the norm for 
GNOME applications, not in the software industry.  If we feel that 
this is the right way to go, then that's what we recommend in the HI 
Guidelines and it _will_ become the norm.

> Furthermore, Apple are not infallible. I can see plenty of potential
> problems with instant-apply dialogs, and not a whole lot of
> advantages. So why do we want them to become the norm?

Maciej mentioned the primary advantage, IMHO: why have an extra 
button click to make something happen?  It's unnecessary complexity.

I will actually agree that instant-apply dialogs can be a little 
disconcerting when you first use them, if you are coming from an 
environment where they are not the norm.  But I think in the end we 
will find them to be simpler than non-instant dialogs.

That said, I think this is definitely a legitimate discussion to have 
on this list, but we need to have a recommendation in the HI 
guidelines soon, so it'd be good to have some resolution on it soon. 
Especially since the person who is questioning the wisdom of 
instant-apply dialogs is the person responsible for writing that 
particular part of the HI guidelines. :)

Adam

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