unity-design team mailing list archive

[Ryan Prior <ryanprior@xxxxxxxxx>]

I've noticed that some people, when being introduced to modern Ubuntu
systems, instinctively try to click on notifications when they pop up.
A certain amount of exploration of the notification area is to be
expected of a new user, but some are really persistent and find the
blurring behavior vexing. Could we detect that the user has been
dwelling the mouse in the notification area significantly more
frequently than is expected, and display a simple explanation?

I'd propose this language, to get us started: "This is just a friendly
notification. You don't need to click it, and it fades when you move
your mouse near so that it can stay out of your way. Try exploring
(display various indicator icons here) above."

The purpose of that language is to assure the user that they are not
doing something wrong, that this is how notifications are supposed to
work. Users who "get" notifications quickly and don't try to click
them won't be bothered by the message, and people who don't "get" it
at first hopefully won't be bothered by the message very many times
before they clue in. Since it's only triggered by a basically
pointless user action, and provides the user a reason not to repeat
that action, it wouldn't be annoying in the same way that Clippy's
suggestions were, since those were triggered by expected and useful
actions.

Thanks,
Ryan