unity-design team mailing list archive

[Jan-Christoph Borchardt <inquata@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 12 May 2010 15:23, Conscious User <conscioususer@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> I am strongly against this. I believe single-click usually works for
> the web because usually most possible actions for an hyperlink are,
> at the end of the day, variations of "open": open in another window,
> open in another tab, save, etc.
>
> In the case of files and folders, open is one among a large set of
> semantically different actions. I frequently select a file to
> delete it with the del button, or to see info on the status bar.
>
> Launchers and hyperlinks are "buttons", whereas files and folders
> and "selectable itens". There is a semantic difference.

You are completely right, there is a semantic difference. But I wonder
if (have hard times believing) that this is recognizable by or even
relevant to users.


> Plus, single-click for opening would make dragging less intuitive.
> Firefox allows dragging of hyperlinked things, but I always hesitate
> before dragging an hyperlinked element, wondering if I'll be able
> to drag it without activating the link.

Ok, don’t know how that would be handled, valid and very good point.


> Finally, it should be mentioned that Web 2.0 apps have been
> blurring the line of what constitutes a "web standard" by
> bringing desktop-like behavior. Take Google Docs, for example.

Yes, but in Google Docs you also open a document by single click.


On 12 May 2010 15:58, Scott E. Armitage <launchpad@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I am also strongly against this. As Conscious User points out, hyperlinks,
> launchers, and menu items are buttons that I press in order to do some
> action, whereas icons represent files or folders, i.e. "physical" objects.
> They are inherently different things. The last thing I want is for an
> accidentally placed pointer to open some (potentially huge and RAM-eating)
> file, which may need a (potentially huge and long-loading) application to
> start.

Valid and true as well; but same thing as above, especially:
»launchers […] are buttons […] do some
> action, whereas icons represent […] "physical" objects.«
Launchers are icons, that is the problem. Do users see a difference?
Has it come up in usability tests?

I guess another concern of mine is the discoverability of the single
click feature. I must say I very much like how KDE / Dolphin handles
that (shows a plus sign on hover, although it is a bit distracting).