Re: [Usability] SM UI plan

[Seth Nickell <snickell stanford edu>]

>    +----------------------------------------------+
>    |                                              |
>    |            What do you want Gnome to do?     |
>    |  GNOME                                       |
>    |  LOGOUT         +--------------------+       |
>    |  LOGO OR        | CURRENT OPTION  \/ |       |
>    |  IMAGES         +--------------------+       |
>    |  OR WHAT                                     |
>    |  EVER       In nice, clear wording put a     |
>    |  OVER       pleasant little description      |
>    |  HERE!      about each login option as       |
>    |             it is selected above.            |
>    |                                              |
>    |                       <OK> <CANCEL> <HELP>   |
>    |                                              |
>    +----------------------------------------------+

Using a pull-down menu with deferred application to perform an action is
a blatant mis-application of controls. Controls that may reasonably be
used to perform actions are toolbars, menus (in menubars!), and command
buttons. That is probably the most serious problem with the interface.

Additionally the dialogue does not provide users with extended
information on actions until they have selected the option, reducing the
usefulness of providing such information.

A minor problem is that this dialogue is essentially a "conversational
interface". Rather than directly manipulating the computer, the user
must request the computer to perform actions. This isn't *inherently*
bad, but should generally be avoided.

We actually just tried to redesign the logout mechanism to remove
*EXACTLY THIS PROBLEM*, I'm sort of wondering why you are trying to
re-introduce it?!?

> This is my preference. A big benefit of this I see is that it allows
> for logout options to be easily added or taken away without having to
> change the basic user interface at all. They just have to be added to
> the drop down list.
>
> This is useful for when users do and do not have permission to reboot
> or shutdown a machine.

So you are suggesting that if I don't have permission to do something it
should be mysteriously absent from the menus? At least have the decency
to inform me that the option exists but I may not excercise it. Even
better (much better!) is to provide a mechanism for me to easily
discover why it is that I can't access this option, and perhaps provide
a mechanism for me to fix it.

-Seth