Re: [Usability]Insert/overwrite, how should i do a usability study?

[Roberto Rosselli Del Turco <rosselli ling unipi it>]

Dave Bordoley wrote:
> Re ccing this to usability and taking nautilus-list off the CC (how did
> this get sent to nautilus-list?)

The answer is simple: /me sending message to wrong list ;)

> FWIW "Don't display this warning next time" check-boxes in dialogs are
> basically considered the bane of ui design. (ie. they suck) For every
> such dialog you need to implement a preference (mozilla is a perfect
> example). If you need to provide such a preference it is pretty clear
> that your dialog is useless and you need to find a better solution to
> your problem.

I didn't know about the need of implementing a preference for it, I can 
see your point. In this particular situation, though, it might help. Or 
is there an alternative way to pop up a once only warning?

It seems to me that the cursor shape change is a useful hint only to 
users who fully grasp the concept of overwrite mode: it is not enough to 
explain what's going on to inexperienced users, although they might link 
the new cursor shape to the fact that the thing is "eating" what they've 
 already written. So there should be some kind of warning, and it 
should be easy to turn it off after the first time...

Ciao

--
Roberto Rosselli Del Turco      e-mail:	rosselli cisi unito it
Dipartimento di Scienze			rosselli ling unipi it
del Linguaggio			Then spoke the thunder	DA
Universita' di Torino		Datta: what have we given?  (TSE)

  Hige sceal the heardra,     heorte the cenre,
  mod sceal the mare,       the ure maegen litlath.  (Maldon 312-3)