Re: [Usability]HIG should advise against Yes/No in confirmation alerts

[Sean Middleditch <elanthis awesomeplay com>]

On Mon, 2003-04-28 at 14:13, John Levon wrote:
> On Mon, Apr 28, 2003 at 12:57:22PM -0500, Gregory Merchan wrote:
> 

> > "Save changes to the document Foo before closing?"
> > 
> > To me, such a question should be answered with a yes or a no. For
> 
> I'm not sure that this pedantry is particularly relevant though.

This is a linguistic issue - that doesn't mean it's not an issue, tho. 
~,^

> 
> > My point is that I don't think it's necessary to ask a question or
> > give orders; stating the problem should suffice. But, I'm probably wrong.
> 
> I believe the user model is that the computer is asking a question; the
> most natural text, then, is that in the form of a question. And "Close
> without Saving"  seems a logical and meaningful answer to the example
> question.

That's one example question.

There's also the psychological issues with it.  With the "you have
unsaved documents" and the action buttons, the user is in control; the
user makes all the decision.  Asking a question, the computer is now
directing the user, which makes the computer feel as if in control.  It
doesn't matter that the actions available are the exact same; the
psychological implications of phrasing these things can have vast
effects on people using the computer.

Making a well phrased question that's actually proper english (not to
mention the other bazillion languages GNOME supports) is rather
difficult.  A quick, short description of the situation is easier.  Both
of these require you to state the situation, the question requires you
to come up with a question to ask.  And then there is consistancy; do
you ask them if they want to save first, or ask them if they want to
quit anyway, or ask them what they'd like to do, etc.  In the event a
user actually reads these (users tend to get trained to click a certain
button in a certain situation without reading dialogs, which is why
buttons have actions on them), the wildly different questions could be
confusing or frightening; see previous section on psychological impact. 
~,^

Certainly we can come up with reasons why questions are _bad_.  Are
there any reasons they are good?  Real reasons?

> 
> regards
> john
> _______________________________________________
> Usability mailing list
> Usability gnome org
> http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/usability
-- 
The pain of war cannot exceed the woe of aftermath.
  -- Led Zeppelin, "Battle of Evermore"