Re: My GWorkspace feature request

[MJ Ray]

On 2003-06-21 12:16:52 +0100 Nicolas Roard <nicolas@roard.com> wrote:
> According to you, if contextual menus are so hard to reach, they 
> won't annoy users, as they won't even notice them... "encouragement 
> of user castes" ? well I really don't see why you are against
> a multi-level approach to the gui.

Developers will generally be using the "power user" interface methods 
because they think them cool, so will not pay proper attention to the 
"normal user" interface methods and not notice when it is totally 
broken.  This is a related point about why multiple interface routes 
for a task is bad, not just context menus.

> In fact, that's already the case, for example
> with keyboard accelerators.

Keyboard menu access is just an alternative way of accessing the same 
route.  Some context menu apologists seem to claim that there should 
be special expert magic options that only appear on context menus.

People arguing that the optimal method for a novice user is not the 
same as the optimal method for an expert user are wishing for a return 
to the days when obscure function key combinations ruled the world.  
Yes, the experienced user can remember even the most horrible user 
interface eventually.  It doesn't make it a good user interface.

[end of message chopped as it seemed to ask for the above points to be 
made again]

--
MJR/slef   My Opinion Only and possibly not of any group I know.
     http://mjr.towers.org.uk/   jabber://slef@jabber.at
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      Thought: "Changeset algebra is really difficult."