Re: [Ayatana] Redesigning the Ubuntu mouse cursor for simple notification of app attention

["Scott E. Armitage" <launchpad@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think that relying on mouse cursors as notifications is a scary idea. With the advent of new input methods (and old ones becoming more popular) such as touch-screens, the role of the mouse cursor does not have a 100% rock-solid future. Why put the effort into something that may not be there five years down the road?

Also, I don't know about you, but I am rarely actually looking at my mouse cursor. I am looking at the screen behind it. If I am trying to actively click something, I use my peripheral vision to tell my hand where it needs to go, then when it comes into view over where I need it, *bam* I click. I don't want to have to focus on my actual cursor, which could be well away from where I am actually working. This is even more true when I am not actively using the mouse, for example while I am typing this e-mail, I have no clue where the mouse pointer is, because I have no use for it. If I am watching a video, I may even intentionally push the mouse cursor off the edge of the screen so that it doesn't get in the way. In all of these situations, I won't see whatever an app is trying to tell me through the mouse cursor.

-S

On Tue, May 4, 2010 at 7:22 PM, Shane Fagan <shanepatrickfagan@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hey all,

Since we are looking to innovate for 10.10 how about something as
fundamental as the mouse cursor. Ok at the moment we have very simple
and old school but maybe we can do some indications with the mouse
cursor, im doing something, you can type here...etc.

What im thinking is that if something is going on in the background that
may not need a notification but a user may want to go to like an app
opening or just that the app needs attention. So my idea is that the
mouse cursor displays the icon of the app (for a few seconds) that needs
attention if its not focused. I know that the window list at the bottom
of the screen indicates that the app needs attention but the user always
has an eye on the mouse so it makes sense to put some indications there
too.

What do you all think? I know its a little bit out there but its just a
little idea.

-fagan


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--
Scott Armitage, B.A.Sc., M.A.Sc. candidate
Space Flight Laboratory
University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies
4925 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M3H 5T6