Re: Go button (Re: [Epiphany] Recommendations)

[Gregory Merchan <merchan phys lsu edu>]

On Thu, Sep 18, 2003 at 01:17:34PM -0400, Ettore Perazzoli wrote:
> On Sun, 2003-09-14 at 16:14, Gregory Merchan wrote:
> > I made a page with some change recommendations for Epiphany.
> > 
> >   http://www.phys.lsu.edu/students/merchan/GNOME/Recommendations/Epiphany/
> 
> BTW, is the "Go" button necessary at all?  Going to a site by typing a
> URL is strictly a keyboard operation anyways, all users know that they
> can use the Enter key, and the button doesn't really add much besides
> some clutter.

Necessary, no. But it seems to be well advised for web browsers. The
usability testing of GNOME by Sun found one user confused by GDM's lack
of an OK button:

  http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/ut1_report/logging_in.html

Anecdotal evidence, which I can't find on the web now, has also indicated
user confusion. Not all users know that they can use the Enter key. Google
still has:
  "Tip: In most browsers you can just hit the return key instead of
   clicking on the search button."

Indeed, typing a URL is strictly a keyboard operation[*], but pasting one
or editing one with with Cut/Copy/Paste/Delete is not. I myself like to
have the Go button for that.


> (We kind of have the same issue in Evolution with the "Search Now"
> button in the search bar, and we are considering dropping that as well.)

If you have incremental searching, then replacing it would be a good idea;
the replacement being "Next", or something like it. (Like C-s in Emacs:
type, then press C-s again to move the cursor to the next instance.)
If the search isn't incremental, the similarity to entering a URL or logging
in is a reason to keep it.

Cheers,
Greg

[*] Typing a URL is strictly a keyboard operation if you use the keyboard
    to type. Some users will be using assistive technologies like on-screen
    keyboards - which aren't your typical keyboards.