Re: [Usability] Double-click in notification area?

[Daniele Levorato <daniele levorato infocamere it>]

Well, Ryan, I agree with Uno.
First of all don't forget the power of standards: perhaps there're no
many differences between single or double click... but double click is a
standard... many many users expect the double click to work as
activation and changing this could prevent and limit GNOME popularity.
All the other Desktop out there works with double click... there's no
reason to make GNOME different, breaking a standard.

You said that nobody has shown you a good argument against single
click... but in my opinion you haven't argued too anything really valid
agaist double-click. If you want to suggest a change (such deep change)
you should give more power to your thesis... but really there're no so
many advantages in changing clicking-policy, isn't it?

I can't really see any drawback in double-clicking...
... moreover "activation" is often an important event... performing
double-click is something like saying "I'm really sure to do this". As
Uno has said, many mistakes can be avoided respect single-click.

Then it is usefull to have different action with single-click and double
click: selection vs. activation is an important issue for some
applications! Evolution is an example. Many other do a sort of preview
/detailed-information-show on "selection" and another activity with
"activation".
Obviously you can use the right mouse button as you said... and probably
you can try to show that it's better to drive on the left side instead
of the right (like english people really do)... yes, perhaps it's a
matter of habbits, what's wrong with that?

Saying it with simple words:
Single (left) click = all that is inherent with focusing an object,
saying to the application "hey, take care of this object since perhaps
I've something to do with it". It's the most used button.
Double click = activate the default action for this object, saying to
the application "hey, I'm really sure I want the default action to run
on this object"
Right button click = pop-up the object-context menu, saying to the
application "hey, show me what I can do with this object, without going
to menu/toolbar shortcut or something else".

You want to "select" with right button... so how do you pop-up the
contextual menu?
Do we really need such a revolution?

P.S.
Just a funny thing: in java swing's API there's a way for an application
to even tell the triple-click, 4th-click --- n-click!!!


On Fri, 2004-08-27 at 05:11, Ryan McDougall wrote:
> On Fri, 2004-27-08 at 04:50 +0200, Uno Engborg wrote:
> > Ryan McDougall wrote:
> 
> > >
> > >While we are on topic, I'd like to register my supreme dislike for
> > >double-clicking. No doubt the UI problems posed by it are well known to
> > >you, but is there any intention of defaulting GNOME to single click?
> > >
> > >  
> > >
> > Please don't default to single click. Microsoft tried that when they 
> > introduced their Active Desktop and failed
> > horribly. Almost nobody used it.  Perhaps this was due to since long 
> 
> I'm sorry Uno, but it seems your whole argument is that its not nice to
> relearn old habits. 
> 
> The arguments for changing the default is that its hard to do, and
> completely redundant 90% of the time. People with poor motor skills find
> it impossible. It makes very little sense what should be single or
> double clicked. I watch in amazement as my mother, and practically every
> person over 40 double-click on every GUI element just in case they have
> to. etc. etc.
> 
> I could really go on, and on, but I'd rather hear a good reason why its
> a bad default. Microsoft abandoned it doesn't carry much weight with
> me. 
> 
> > 
> > Regards
> > Uno Engborg
> 
> Cheers,
> Ryan
> 
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