twipley
September 5th, 2012, 04:47 PM
I just wanted to fork a previous thread and launch a little debate about this. The question is whether or not the launcher (vertical bar at the left of the screen) should or be hidden by default (somewhat akin to minimalist GNOME-Shell design). It merely is an idea the objective of which is to improve the default environment.
I definitely disagree. [...] You should always make something visible to start if it can be adjusted to not be visible. That way, people can easily see it and decide if they want it to stay there or for them to change it. If it is hidden by default, it might take some time before the user realizes it is there and that they want it always visible.
An interesting point is being made. Indeed, without the implementation of both a viable and unobstructive way teaching one to do without it being visible, much frustration would be experienced from their part.
A workaround might be for a tip bubble to be displayed upon [first] login, to the effect of: "Hold down the 'Super' key to get started." (Of course a method would be needed to show the user what is meant by the "Super" key.)
Most people I know feel more at ease doing it in such a way, with the launcher hidden. Some, less used to computers, even sometimes take so much time releasing the mouse button on icon clicks that in that interval of time the icon has the time to move along with the cursor, the end result being that the desired action is brought to a fail.
Holding the Super key and pressing one of the overlaid numeric keys solves the problem for most. Plus, one gets to have more screen space by default.
It might even benefit from not only being auto-hidden, but from staying hidden if one hovers around it, with the end result of solving the common hindrance of having it pop up in unwanted moments, for example when one reaches the left-pointing previous-page arrow button in Firefox.
Unity is awesome, although GNOME-Shell has some great points to it, such as advance in the field of the inducement of minimalist experiences.
So, it is your turn -- get your arguments out, for what it is hoped will be a rewarding debate.
I definitely disagree. [...] You should always make something visible to start if it can be adjusted to not be visible. That way, people can easily see it and decide if they want it to stay there or for them to change it. If it is hidden by default, it might take some time before the user realizes it is there and that they want it always visible.
An interesting point is being made. Indeed, without the implementation of both a viable and unobstructive way teaching one to do without it being visible, much frustration would be experienced from their part.
A workaround might be for a tip bubble to be displayed upon [first] login, to the effect of: "Hold down the 'Super' key to get started." (Of course a method would be needed to show the user what is meant by the "Super" key.)
Most people I know feel more at ease doing it in such a way, with the launcher hidden. Some, less used to computers, even sometimes take so much time releasing the mouse button on icon clicks that in that interval of time the icon has the time to move along with the cursor, the end result being that the desired action is brought to a fail.
Holding the Super key and pressing one of the overlaid numeric keys solves the problem for most. Plus, one gets to have more screen space by default.
It might even benefit from not only being auto-hidden, but from staying hidden if one hovers around it, with the end result of solving the common hindrance of having it pop up in unwanted moments, for example when one reaches the left-pointing previous-page arrow button in Firefox.
Unity is awesome, although GNOME-Shell has some great points to it, such as advance in the field of the inducement of minimalist experiences.
So, it is your turn -- get your arguments out, for what it is hoped will be a rewarding debate.