Re: Where "always" means "come hell or high water"

[prev] [thread] [next] [lurker] [Date index for 2007/03/16]

From: Martin Ebourne
Subject: Re: Where "always" means "come hell or high water"
Date: 12:24 on 16 Mar 2007
Michael G Schwern <schwern@xxxxx.xxx> wrote:
> Martin Ebourne wrote:
>> Well, you're right for you I presume, but definitely not right for
>> everyone.
>
> Can't we all just hate everyone?

Hey, this list is for hating software, not people. Maybe a =20
hates-people list would be too scary.

> Windows on the desktop tend to be more than half an inch wide.  Big long
> window bar, teeny little close button.  Makes it hard to hit the wrong spo=
t.

Ironically I think you're completely wrong on that one too. :)

Most windowing systems these days put the tiny little maximise button =20
right next to the tiny little close button in what has to be one of =20
the most stupid UI design decisions ever. I hit the wrong one far too =20
often.

Fortunately on sensible systems I can configure the window close =20
button on the left where I never hit it accidentally.

> Though I notice Firefox got a few things right.  The close button disappea=
rs
> on inactive windows when the tab goes below a certain width, that's
> good.

Ah, I think I see the problem now. I also hate the browser when it =20
squashes the tabs up so small that you can't tell which is which from =20
the title, or if the close button takes up too much of the title.

Fortunately one of the hateful firefox extensions lets you set a =20
minimum tab width(*) which means I can always see which tab is which =20
and there's plenty of width for me to click without hitting the close =20
button. With sensible scroll buttons on the tab bar, grouping of =20
opened pages together (so hate the default of always putting new tabs =20
on the far right), and the ability to drag them around I find working =20
with 20 tabs quite fine. (And I don't close tabs by accidentally =20
hitting the button, but do sometimes hit the wrong close button by =20
stupidity or just change my mind as I press it, so undo is nice too.)

> But hey, do it your way.  That's why we have configurable UIs.

I do agree with you on that point. :)

(*) I actually set a fixed tab width which means that tab's don't =20
randomly resize on me and makes things a lot more predictable. To =20
close a bunch of tabs together I just click close on the one on the =20
left of the group a lot and they all collapse in nicely, no mouse =20
movement at all. :)

Cheers,

Martin.
There's stuff above here

Generated at 14:02 on 20 Mar 2007 by mariachi 0.52