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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: The new tooltips
From:       Segedunum <segedunum () actuaria ! co ! uk>
Date:       2005-01-16 13:23:32
Message-ID: 200501161323.32368.segedunum () actuaria ! co ! uk
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On Sunday 16 January 2005 11:00, kde-usability-request@kde.org wrote:
> This is only the task of someone who is very, vey new to the KDE desktop.
> The task of anyone else, is simply to execute an application. It is not to
> *find* an aplication. They already know that icon x is application y, so
> what good does the giant tooltip serve?

We might as well ask Microsoft to turn all tooltips off in Windows, and we 
might ask them why they decided to make space in Windows for writing a *full* 
description of what the application does that appears inside a tooltip.

> Yes, they do. All you want to do is click the application button. you
> already know what it does.

I already know what a button does in any application, but it still helps 
dramatically to get tooltip type feedback even if you've done it a thousand 
times before. Your brain isn't forced to delay those few tenths of a second 
to think about it - and that really does get in your way.

> However, because there is no delay, when you go to click the button, a great
> big bubble shows up on the screen.

I'm afraid that just doesn't happen. There is a delay, which the animation 
provides, and if you're still inside the kicker you want the feedback to show 
up instantaneously - you can't afford to wait. This is the accepted way in 
which this sort of thing, and tooltips, should work.

> When things suddenly appear on the screen, your natural inclination is to
> stop and see what they are.

Well yes - that's part of the point.

However, if you put your mouse over an icon you want some feedback to go with 
it, and this is what these 'kicker tooltips' provide. If you don't know what 
the icon does they give you far better feedback on that than we've had 
before, and if you already know what it does they give you feedback that 
you've put your mouse on the right icon and you simply click on it without 
reading it or even waiting for the 'tooltip' to show up fully. No problem.

Cheers,

David
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