[sldev] build 3109

[Melinda Green]

Boroondas Gupte wrote:
> Melinda Green schrieb:
>   
>> The solution is to use a "flyout" button instead of regular buttons.
>>     
> Good idea. Also, I think the very same options should be made available
> in the context menu when you click someone's name (or even chat) in a
> conference/group session or local chat. I think we can live with some UI
> redundancy as long as it's unobtrusive when it increases comfort by
> having the most important actions always "at your fingertips" whatever
> you might be doing just now.
>   

Exactly. And yes, the general idea is to use this pattern in every P2P 
context so that users automatically know what to do with it wherever 
they see it.

>> Using this approach we can use whichever default operation makes the
>> most sense in each situation, with the rest of the operations in the
>> drop-down. If desired, we can probably even code it to automatically
>> switch defaults depending upon friend online status, etc.
>>     
> I don't think we should change the defaults automagically, that'd be
> confusing. Also it'd again bring up the usability race condition of
> clicking the button while the contact is logging in or out, resulting in
> another action than intended. Choose as the default action something
> that's often needed and is always available (e.g., the current button's
> functionality, opening the profile). For the flyout, just enable/disable
> (grey out) entries depending on context/state, but keep the list the same.

I don't think that we should automagically switch the defaults either. I 
just wanted to note for those who were advocating that sort of thing 
that it should still be possible with this UI.

>
> PS: Wouldn't this discussion be suitable for the sl-ux list?
>   

Probably. I'm just not on that list. I just remember that in RX meetings 
we'd often dream of an ultimate solution but never hit on it. It just 
occurred to me the other day that the little-known flyout button was 
exactly the tool for the job.


Argent Stonecutter wrote:
> There's plenty of room across the top there, why not just add a button?

It's not about the room for one more button. There would be similar 
requests for *each* of the P2P actions in every such context. That road 
leads to there always being either too many or two few buttons for 
different sets of users. This way there is only one button with all the 
other operations immediately available. Even two buttons can often be 
too much clutter which is why I implemented the snapshot "Save As" using 
a flyout button with only two options. Adding a single button may not 
seem like a big deal, but ever visible control requires some level of 
user attention and is therefore a serious cost. The whole point of the 
2.0 viewer is to flatten the learning curve by reducing that clutter.

-Melinda