unity-design team mailing list archive

[Thibaut Brandscheid <randaltor@xxxxxx>]

I would like to suggest the removal of all Sort-By buttons in all
applications shipped with Ubuntu.

The reasons:
- they can break the UX in an app for an average user completely
- they are rarely used
- we don't need them

Instead make a default how content should be sorted in Ubuntu and stick to
it.
Allow the user to change the sorting pattern in the application preferences.

There are two problems I try to address:
1 - The without-intention-click-problem
I help an elderly man that sometimes clicks without intention and without
noticing it. Sometimes he clicks on the Sort-By button with the effect that
this mail inbox gets sorted by another pattern, resulting in an unusable
program for him, because he can't find any mail any more for days! And he
is not the only person I've seen struggling with the Sort-By functionality.
Most average users I know just ignore the Sort-By buttons because they are
a potential source of trouble for them.

2 - They clutter the UI for no reason.
(3 - Touch screen devices have the same problem of intention less clicks,
resulting in unwanted actions being executed)

I know the Sort-By buttons can be found in applications since decades, but
thats not a reason why they should stay.

Your thoughts?


Greetings
Thibaut