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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: [KDE Usability] Misuse of toggle buttons, continued
From:       Celeste Lyn Paul <celeste () kde ! org>
Date:       2010-08-20 16:08:49
Message-ID: AANLkTinfF-XdkviG7AOg=4ZdsJg+98p_2WzD9HiKxaR+ () mail ! gmail ! com
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2010/8/20 Aurélien Gâteau <agateau@kde.org>:
> On 20/08/2010 11:43, Diego Moya wrote:
>> I have a problem with the HIG actually *encouraging* a single play/pause
>> button for media players, since this is a frequent source of irritation for
>> me.
>>
>> While I agree that a separate KDualAction is a good idea, the HIG should
>> warn that these class of buttons have a BIG problem when the action does not
>> provide instant feedback of the application state.
>>
>> In the particular case of play buttons, this happens when the media doesn't
>> start as soon as the button is pressed. In that case it's impossible to tell
>> whether the Pause icon means that the media is paused or that it will be
>> paused as an action.
>>
>> I regularly found myself pressing the play/pause icon in online videos,
>> waiting for the movie to begin playing. The problem is more acute in
>> embedded players, but it can also happen in desktop players if the song file
>> begins with several seconds of silence.
>
> I understand your concerns but I think this is a bit outside of the
> scope of this discussion. It is up to the media player to provide a
> clear cue about its current state. One of my goals with this HIG
> addition is to have a referenced way to implement combined buttons, so
> that developers who decided they want one can implement it correctly.

I agree with Aurelian here. If media needs to cache or load after the
Play button is pressed, then there needs to be some type of additional
feedback such as a progress spinner. Loading media doesn't change the
fact the player is in a Play mode and should be playing media and
should be able to be Paused. Also, once the media buttons are made
more consistent, questions such as "I wonder what state this is in"
should be alleviated by users learning the controls. Learning is
supported by consistency. I think a lot of user confusion with
controls -- especially with media players -- is from experience with
inconsistent interfaces not unintuitive interfaces.

~ C

-- 
Celeste Lyn Paul
KDE Usability Project
KDE e.V. Board of Directors
www.kde.org
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