Re: [Usability] Re: Screenshots as videos

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Wed, 13 Jul 2005, Shaun McCance wrote:

> Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2005 01:19:16 -0500
> From: Shaun McCance <shaunm gmail com>
> To: Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>
> Cc: usability gnome org
> Subject: Re: [Usability] Re: Screenshots as videos
>
> On Wed, 2005-07-13 at 02:35 +0100, Alan Horkan wrote:
> > > Just got started on some documentation stuff today, and I want to
> > > revisit this thread, since I don't remember a consensus ever being
> > > reached.
> >
> > So my comments that a Screen Recorder is a different application from Take
> > Screenshot didn't do it for you then?
>
> Your comments don't constitute a consensus.

True of course, I didn't mean it to come as across as if that was what I
meant but I had hoped my arguments were more convincing.  (I probably
shouldn't have posted when half asleep and a little crankey either.)

> > Take a screenshot, they have already said so.
> > Why second guess the user?
>
> Because I (the user) haven't yet said what to take a screenshot of.
> I sure as hell don't want to take a screenshot of the menu I found
> the screenshooter tool in.

I'm not sure what you mean here.  The current behaviour takes enough time
for the menu to drop away and takes a screenshot of the whole screen which
seems to be a pretty reasonable default.

Oh and here is the bug report about adding a time delayed option to the
screenshot tool
http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=79189

> > And then there is the GIMP (and the option to take screenshots without
> > window decorations was added back in case you have a version missing the
> > feature).
>
> Yes, there are other tools I can use.

I didn't mean to sound dismissive.  The screenshot tool is intended
to be simple and I very much would like to keep it that way.

> I mean, that's always the answer right?  No, we don't do that.  No, we
> think you should use somebody else's software.

Sure, it does indicate a problem if we were always telling people to use
some other tool instead of our own but Gnome does not exist in a Vacuum.
Gnome is part of a wider community and there is no harm in trying to
include other Gtk appliations and make them feel like they are a part of
Gnome too.

> I noticed you cleverly snipped my other two points, which were

There wasn't any devious plan.  They were strong points worth addressing
and I didn't have anything to say about it at the time.

> my much stronger points.  Particularly, please do tell me how
> anybody is supposed to discover the keybindings.

Keybindings are for faster access to repetative tasks.

The print screen button on the keyboard is a relatively easy to find and
users will probably guess it will send a copy of their screen to their
printer (they have no idea of the historical meanings the button has had)
and when they hit the key they will discover from the dailog what it is
for.

There is a fair amount of dead space in the dialog and perhaps some hint
about the keybindings could be worked into the dialog or provided through
some suitable artwork.  When the dailog is reworked to include things like
taking a screenshot after a delay or a screenshot of a single window
perhaps the wording or button label could make a delibaret point of
including the words "Print Screen" somewhere.  (I'm sure Callum has better
ideas if he can spare the time.)

I'd feel a lot better about including keybindings in the documentation if
there were easy ways to generate an Appendix of keybindings from source
code or glade files but certainly it helps to have the keybindings well
documented.  (And while I'm talking about autogenerating things from glade
files I believe there was a tool for the HIG which generates screenshots
from glade files which might help us automate some of the screenshots
we all want to take.)

Some applications allow you to display keybindings in their tooltips, it
might be interesting if there was a desktop wide setting that would allow
Panel applets to include keybindings in their tooltips.  It isn't
something the screenshot tool should do in isolation though.


Off the top of my head and unrelated to keybindings, the context menu of
the Screenshot applet is relatively empty.  It might be possible to add an
option in there to take a screenshot of a single window and then change
the cursor to a target which the user would click on the window they want
to shoot (much like Force Quit applet I use far too often).  (Maybe I have
suggested it before.)

> > > So, more thoughts on this beaten thread?
> >
> > Loads more ... but I'll finish with the classic bit of software design:
> >
> > Do one thing well.
>
> Pithy phrases do not make good software design.

Those phrases didn't come out of nowhere.  There is good reason is is a
popular maxim and an idea that lasts.  And I yes I use far too many
cliches in my writing but that doesn't make it any less true.

Anyway I hope my suggestions lead others to better ideas at least.

Sincerely

Alan Horkan
http://advogato.org/person/AlanHorkan/