unity-design team mailing list archive

[Jonathan Meek <shrouded.cloud@xxxxxxxxx>]

Someone asked me to get some info to them about Nautilus' menu when right
clicking an image file, this is what I was confronted with:

Open with Image Viewer
-------------------------------
Open With >
-------------------------------
Cut
Copy
-------------------------------
Make Link
Rename...
Copy To >
Move To >
-------------------------------
Move to Trash...
-------------------------------
Resize Icon...
Restore Icon's Original Size
-------------------------------
Revert to Previous Version...
Compress...
Ubuntu One >
Send To...
-------------------------------
Properties

This is entirely too complex, especially for a simple image. And, though it
has some extra items from being a file on the desktop, it's STILL not the
longest context menu of my desktop files. Let's take this line-by-line.

*"Open with [default program here]"/"Open With >"
Why do we have these two items? If the user wants to launch with the
default program they can just launch it by normal clicks. The expanded
"open with >" option is all that is really necessary at this point in time
in case a user wants to launch the file/program with a non-default action.

*Cut/Copy
Not much to say here, need to keep an eye on where there is duplication of
effort, however.

*Make Link
I would argue against the need for this item, but can see its usefulness. I
say keep it for now, but keep an eye on how useful it remains.

*Rename
Necessary, but same deal as Cut/Copy.

*"Copy To >"/"Move To >"
These two are a mild convenience that I don't think is worth the wasted
space. Besides, I can't, as a user, define a new place to add to these
categories. And that picture I right-clicked on? No option to send it to
/home/ME/pictures, so these items sort of explain themselves out of the
picture in my eyes. I quick drop to /home or /home/me/Desktop isn't really
worth those two lines. (Also, weird bug I noticed: for some reason the move
to sub menu was unshadowed and caused the right-click menu to expand. Not
sure if just me or what.)

*Move to Trash...
I couldn't live without it.

*"Resize Icon"/"Restore Icon's Original Size" [DESKTOP ONLY]
Why do these even exist? Nautilus' desktop is already unruly enough without
having this absolutely useless feature. How many people actually resize any
icons on their desktop? (Another bug: After testing what Resize did, I went
to click the restore option which appeared insensitive, but allowed me to
click it anyway. Will need repro.)

*Revert to Previous Version...
Will someone please tell me why this option is there for me? I do NOT have
Deja Dup set up. Yet it's decided to hook into my menus and ask me if I
want to revert a file that it isn't versioning? I think Deja Dup needs to
have some thinking of when to expose such functions to users instead of
just sticking it in because it is there.

*Compress...
Useful in my eyes. Would love others input on this one.

*"Ubuntu One >"
So singularly focused. Are we proposing with this behaviour everyone should
just drop their own items into the menu? If I've a dropbox and U1 account,
will my menu be another usless item? OS X, from what I can tell handles
this situation much more gracefully with its "Share..." option. I think it
would be much better to have this and have programs hook into that instead
of populating my menus. Share covers the gamut from social to cloud.

*Send To...
I'll be honest, i've never used this and upon clicking it to test what it
was, I still have no idea what the hell it is. It can't be too terribly
useful? Input needed.

*Properties
Axe it! Oh, wait, nevermind.

Whew, quite a bit there... What are we looking at now?

Open With >
---------------
Cut
Copy
Move to Trash
---------------
Make Link...
Rename
---------------
Compress...
---------------
Share...
Properties

Fewer submenus, less noise, more usefulness. Of course, with the "Share..."
option requiring more work than less, I doubt that one will come to
fruition, though I do find it much more graceful. I'd appreciate feedback
on those areas my post has been lacking. And before we start in on the "I
use this feature, so it has to stay" think first if we have it elsewhere,
how many others will really use it (hence why Compress is an iffy option),
how hard it is to do elsewhere, versus cluttering the menu further, etc.