Re: [Usability] Re: [Rhythmbox-devel] Rhythmbox tray icon - again

[Jeff Waugh <jdub perkypants org>]

<quote who="Sean Harshbarger">

> IE acme is a good example. I do not need a acme window open all the time.
> I may use it once every 6 months to setup a new key. Other then that, it
> just sits there. The benefit is that it notifies me that it is running by
> keeping an icon in the "tray".

acme is a terrible example of the notification area in action. Does it
actually notify you of anything? ... No. Please don't use it as an example
of a good notification icon.

(Note: Notification does not mean "sit there and do nothing, apart from
providing the almost-useless information that a particular process happens
to be running.)

Unfortunately, we have a pre-existing pattern that notification icons stay
in the n-area and then flash when they want to notify you of something (the
Red Hat updater thingy, gaim, Windows things) instead of only appearing when
they have something to say... ie. notification.

This results in behaivour such as gaim's: It has a nice big icon in the
n-area, but when it wants to flash up a notification, it uses what you could
describe as an emblem on top of the normal icon, which is perhaps 8 pixels
across. That's not a very bold notification!

The notification area should not be used simply to inform the user that a
process is running. They are not interested in that information. If,
however, one of those processes does something that requires their attention
(really and truly, not just silly stuff), then they do care.

- Jeff

-- 
linux.conf.au 2004: Adelaide, Australia         http://lca2004.linux.org.au/
 
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