Re: [Usability] spatial nautilus concerns

[Christian Schneider <c schneider scram de>]

David Feldman wrote:

> If empirical testing is underway, I apologize for my lengthy  
> message...I haven't heard anything and feel pretty strongly about 
> this.  I started feeling strongly when I read the Ars Technica 
> article, mostly  because of the number of broad claims it makes about 
> usability without  any real support. But it goes beyond that. Linux, 
> in large part due to  the efforts of the GNOME community, is becoming 
> a viable alternative to  Windows for more and more users. I'm really 
> excited about that, and the  more it gets right the more excited I am. 
> As more and more nontechnical  users make the switch, the cost of 
> making fundamental changes to the  user experience rises, so the time 
> to make such changes is now. GNOME  has implemented all the 
> functionality required by pretty much any  permutation or hybrid of 
> the spatial and navigation metaphors, so the  question becomes one of 
> choosing the right default settings rather than  a lot of development 
> time. Empirical methods such as usability testing  work. So why not 
> apply them and make sure we've got it right?

I also suggest usability testing to support the spatial model with some 
imperical evidence.

> In the meantime, a modest proposal that doesn't change the default 
> but  provides flexibility to users and developers: Decouple the "open 
> in  same window" option from the "always use browser window" option. 
> Then  users (like me) who want to stick with the more minimal window 
> style  but would like folders to open in the same window can set 
> things up  that way. (Similarly, users who mostly want the spatial 
> metaphor but  also want the browser functionality at their fingertips 
> can leave "open  in same window" off but enable the browser.)

Open in same window and the Tree belong together in my opinion. It just 
doesn´t make much sense to use them separately. The other advantage of 
combining the options is
that a user who sees a spatial window knows that a new window will open 
with left click.
If he sees a browser window he knows a click opens the new folder in the 
same window.

What I did not like in the first spatial versions were the many windows 
on the screen. But
in recent nautilus versions (2.8) you can use middle click to open the 
new folder in a new
window while closing the current window. Even when moving up in the tree 
again you
can keep with only one window. The advantage compared to open in same 
window is
that the spatial principles still work.

The only thing I would change in the default is to change open folders 
to single click.
While double click is default in windows especially novice users have 
big problems with
doing a double click. Either they don´t manage it at all or they move 
the cursor causing a drag.
Especially the double middle click is very difficult. Even more so when 
the mouse has a wheel for
the middle button. While changing the setting is only one little step 
novice users will take some time
to find this option. Advanced users who don´t like single click will 
find the setting easier.

Another nice thing would be an up button in the lower left of spatial 
windows so you can easier
do the most comon thing when moving up in the tree - moving up one level.

greets

Christian Schneider

http://www.liquid-reality.de