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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    applets context menu in kicker in KDE 3.5
From:       Joseph Garvin <k04jg02 () kzoo ! edu>
Date:       2005-10-24 23:43:32
Message-ID: 435D71A4.30901 () kzoo ! edu
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I'm running the Kubuntu 3.5 Beta2 packages as I write this, and I have 
to say I'm impressed. The new elegant look for kicker is really pretty, 
and the mouse over tooltips on items in the taskbar in addition to over 
the launch icons is a nice addition, along with the new add applets 
dialog all adds a more professional feel.

But kicker still feels a bit clunky to me, and I think a few changes may 
improve usability. I realize that kicker is going to be replaced in 4.0 
but Plasma will probably have some equivalent so I figure I may as well 
list my beefs.

If I add the dictionary applet, and then decide I don't like it, my 
instinct is to right click it to see if an option is presented to remove 
it. If I do right click it I'm greeted with 8!!! menu options, none of 
which is a simple, "Remove Dictionary Applet". In fact, none of the 8 
options presented are contextual to where I right click at all. If right 
click is the 'context menu', why is context not being taken into account 
at all? This is also inconsistent with the behavior for app launch 
buttons, which do display a remove option.

Similarly right clicking an item in the taskbar gives me the close 
option for that window. It doesn't present me with an option for closing 
other windows than the one I right clicked on. Applets I think shouldn't 
too.

Currently to remove the dictionary applet, I have to click the little up 
arrow on top of its separator. Besides being extremely tiny and hard to 
click, it's more confusing than using the context menu because it's 
immediately obvious whether a separator belong to the item on the right 
or on the left.

Which brings up another contextual issue. I can't drag applets. Instead 
I have to drag their separators, and like I just said it's not obvious 
which context or which applet each separator belongs to. If you try to 
form the mental rule that the little up triangle corresponds to a 
separator, the K-menu little arrow then breaks that rule. If you try to 
form the mental rule that there is always a separator to the left of the 
applet that lets you remove that applet from the kicker, you quickly 
learn that the K-menu and the app launch icons breaks this rule. In 
fact,the K-menu can't be removed with a separator button, unlike every 
other applet (I haven't tested, maybe this is a problem always with the 
left most applet in kicker).

And just to hit home my hate of the separators -- they add visual noise. 
The 'elegant' look is much more elegant when the panel is locked so they 
don't appear.

Thoughts? I think more consistenty in whatever 4.0's kicker replacement 
in plasma is would help usability greatly.
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