Re: [Usability] Re: UI debugging with grep

[Gregory Merchan <merchan phys lsu edu>]

On Sat, May 03, 2003 at 11:22:10PM -0400, Sean Middleditch wrote:
> On Sat, 2003-05-03 at 22:44, Gregory Merchan wrote:
> > Here's a common UI bug with an easy fix for everyone.
> > 
> > GNOME alerts are supposed to use OK buttons, not Close buttons.
> 
> Is "OK" really a good word to use?  It's a bit meaningless - OK _what_ ?
> 
> If not "close" (which, admittedly, isn't good), what about Accept ? 
> Cancel/Accept seems rather natural, to me anyways.

"OK. I've seen the alert."

Apple seems fine with this:
http://developer.apple.com/techpubs/macosx/Essentials/AquaHIGuidelines/AHIGLanguage/chapter_13_section_4.html

(See the examples.)

So does Microsoft:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnwue/html/ch09f.asp

"If a message requires no choices to be made but only acknowledgment, include
 an OK button ..."

Sun disagrees:
http://java.sun.com/products/jlf/ed2/book/HIG.Dialogs5.html

... and I scoff at them. *scoff* *scoff*

The most widely used UI have been using OK for at least as long as I remember.
It probably predates bitmapped graphics.

Though it may be fun to yell at the computer, "NO! It's not OK that the
printer is on fire!" almost every 12-step program will tell you that the
first step in fixing a problem is acknowledging that it exists.

Alternatives such as "Bite me!", "I hate computers!", and "ARRRRGGH!!!"
have been suggested before. But I was only kidding.

OK?
Greg