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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Inconsistency in highlighting of panel buttons
From:       "Jamethiel Knorth" <jamethknorth () hotmail ! com>
Date:       2004-08-02 4:37:59
Message-ID: BAY7-F2XM3U7PDLPwC00003af30 () hotmail ! com
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>From: "Aaron J. Seigo" <aseigo@kde.org>
>Date: Sun, 01 Aug 2004 19:28:08 -0600
>
>On Sunday 01 August 2004 11:49, Jamethiel Knorth wrote:
> > >4. the "icon" policy: the button never has a visible bounding box. the
> > >mouse
> > >pointer does not change shape over it.
> > >
> > >In kicker, this is used for the icons on the tray area. It is like in
> > >windows,
> > >but changing the policy to (2) may be better.
> >
> > I am certain that the purpose here is that these are not meant to be
> > buttons, their primary purpose is in fact to be indicators of 
>information.
> > However, this does not seem to actually be the case in KDE as it is in
> > MS-Windows, so I would have to agree with you here.
> >
> > I would also say that it should be done in the same way as type 2, not 
>the
> > same as other Kicker buttons (which resize) to avoid confusion as to 
>what
> > type of entry they are. Also, this would avoid the fairly ugly
> > large-box-around-the-entire-system-tray-whenever-you-mouse-over-it 
>problem.
>
>this really won't be possible with the current system tray protocol, not 
>with
>any consistency anyways.
>
> > >To sum up, I suggest remove the behavior (3) and (4) and change it to 
>(2).
> > >This way there would only be two styles used (1 and 2).
> > >
> > >What about it?
> >
> > See above, where I commented.
>
>i'd simply ask: exactly how does this "inconsistency" effect usability? in
>other words: how many users run into problems because of it? and what types
>of problems do they run into? simply noting that something isn't exactly 
>the
>same as everywhere else doesn't really mean much. putting it into 
>task-based
>contexts and relating it to actual usage does.

I would love to test, but cannot. However, it would seem to me that the 
systray would be unclear because there is no indication that clicking will 
do anything. For some users, this could be a serious problem. All the other 
button styles evade this issue by somehow denoting that they can be clicked 
on, so the systray is the only one that needs changing. So, the issue is not 
an 'inconsistency', it is just a direct flaw with the way the systray is 
handled.

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