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Help functions nonexistent :-(

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  Help functions nonexistent :-( The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> - 2016-10-09 13:24 -0700
    Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( "Jeff Gaines" <jgaines_newsid@yahoo.co.uk> - 2016-10-09 21:13 +0000
      Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> - 2016-10-09 17:43 -0700
        Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( Chris <ithinkiam@gmail.com> - 2016-10-11 18:05 +0000
          Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2016-10-11 14:40 -0400
          Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> - 2016-10-11 14:39 -0700
            Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2016-10-11 17:46 -0400
          Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( crankypuss <undisclosedUserid@gmail.com> - 2016-10-12 04:18 -0600
            Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> - 2016-10-12 08:06 -0700
              Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2016-10-12 11:40 -0400
              Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( Bob Henson <rh547477@gmail.com> - 2016-10-12 16:41 +0100
                Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> - 2016-10-12 14:33 -0700
              Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( Chris <ithinkiam@gmail.com> - 2016-10-12 17:46 +0000
            Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( Daniel James <daniel@me.invalid> - 2016-10-12 17:40 +0100
            Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( Chris <ithinkiam@gmail.com> - 2016-10-12 17:52 +0000
            Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( Anssi Saari <as@sci.fi> - 2016-10-13 09:41 +0300
              Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( tlvp <mPiOsUcB.EtLlLvEp@att.net> - 2016-10-14 21:31 -0400
                Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( Anssi Saari <as@sci.fi> - 2016-10-18 09:27 +0300
                  Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( tlvp <mPiOsUcB.EtLlLvEp@att.net> - 2016-10-18 20:51 -0400
    Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( Arno Welzel <usenet@arnowelzel.de> - 2016-10-11 17:54 +0200
      Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> - 2016-10-11 09:47 -0700
        Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2016-10-11 18:39 +0100
          Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( David Taylor <david-taylor@blueyonder.co.uk.invalid> - 2016-10-12 09:40 +0100
            Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( tlvp <mPiOsUcB.EtLlLvEp@att.net> - 2016-10-13 02:43 -0400
        Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( Arno Welzel <usenet@arnowelzel.de> - 2016-10-19 09:52 +0200
          Re: Help functions nonexistent :-( Arno Welzel <usenet@arnowelzel.de> - 2016-10-19 09:55 +0200

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#35192 — Help functions nonexistent :-(

Just bought a $75 Kodi device with little keyboard.  Nifty thing, but 
absolutely NOT intuitive.  Moreover, there's no serious manual for it. 
The best you can do is google searches for approximations of what you 
think might be posted on the web somewhere, and most of that never turns 
up anything useful.  Like every other android thing, it seems to be a 
learn-by-doing process -- maybe easier than man pages because you can at 
least SEE everything, but STILL :-(

-- 
Cheers, Bev
  "There is nothing wrong with it and I didn't do it and, my gosh,
  well I guess I just remembered I did...sort of...but it wasn't my
  fault...because my staff didn't tell me...and I was very busy
  meditating on the issues and besides I thought I was in Cleveland."
                                                   -- Meg Greenfield

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#35195

On 09/10/2016 in message <nte91i$oj$1@dont-email.me> The Real Bev wrote:

>Just bought a $75 Kodi device with little keyboard.  Nifty thing, but 
>absolutely NOT intuitive.  Moreover, there's no serious manual for it. The 
>best you can do is google searches for approximations of what you think 
>might be posted on the web somewhere, and most of that never turns up 
>anything useful.  Like every other android thing, it seems to be a 
>learn-by-doing process -- maybe easier than man pages because you can at 
>least SEE everything, but STILL :-(

That's standard nowadays, OS manuals don't exist. You need to search for 
help on whatever version of Android is installed.

-- 
Jeff Gaines Wiltshire UK
Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his friends for his 
life.
(Jeremy Thorpe, 1962)

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#35202

On 10/09/2016 02:13 PM, Jeff Gaines wrote:
> On 09/10/2016 in message <nte91i$oj$1@dont-email.me> The Real Bev wrote:
>
>>Just bought a $75 Kodi device with little keyboard.  Nifty thing, but
>>absolutely NOT intuitive.  Moreover, there's no serious manual for it. The
>>best you can do is google searches for approximations of what you think
>>might be posted on the web somewhere, and most of that never turns up
>>anything useful.  Like every other android thing, it seems to be a
>>learn-by-doing process -- maybe easier than man pages because you can at
>>least SEE everything, but STILL :-(
>
> That's standard nowadays, OS manuals don't exist. You need to search for
> help on whatever version of Android is installed.

And which is totally inadequate.  'Help' for apps is worse!

-- 
Cheers, Bev
   Some people just can't be helped; you take 'em out of the rat race
   for 5 minutes and they end up missing the rats!       --XR650LDave

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#35241

The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 10/09/2016 02:13 PM, Jeff Gaines wrote:
>> On 09/10/2016 in message <nte91i$oj$1@dont-email.me> The Real Bev wrote:
>> 
>>> Just bought a $75 Kodi device with little keyboard.  Nifty thing, but
>>> absolutely NOT intuitive.  Moreover, there's no serious manual for it. The
>>> best you can do is google searches for approximations of what you think
>>> might be posted on the web somewhere, and most of that never turns up
>>> anything useful.  Like every other android thing, it seems to be a
>>> learn-by-doing process -- maybe easier than man pages because you can at
>>> least SEE everything, but STILL :-(
>> 
>> That's standard nowadays, OS manuals don't exist. You need to search for
>> help on whatever version of Android is installed.
> 
> And which is totally inadequate.  'Help' for apps is worse!

You get what you pay for. What do you expect for something that is
essentially free? 

Back when computers cost an arm and a leg, and software was relatively
simple it was worthwhile writing manuals. Now that software is much more
complex, changes rapidly and is very cheap there's little point.

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#35242

In article <ntj9lf$g2j$1@dont-email.me>, Chris <ithinkiam@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Back when computers cost an arm and a leg, and software was relatively
> simple it was worthwhile writing manuals. Now that software is much more
> complex, changes rapidly and is very cheap there's little point.

you have that backwards. 

software used to be absurdly complicated to use, so much so that a
manual was *required*, where it explained all of the cryptic commands. 

today, apps are very easy to use, so manuals are rarely needed, even
though the apps do *much* more.

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#35243

On 10/11/2016 11:05 AM, Chris wrote:
> The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 10/09/2016 02:13 PM, Jeff Gaines wrote:
>>> On 09/10/2016 in message <nte91i$oj$1@dont-email.me> The Real Bev wrote:
>>>
>>>> Just bought a $75 Kodi device with little keyboard.  Nifty thing, but
>>>> absolutely NOT intuitive.  Moreover, there's no serious manual for it. The
>>>> best you can do is google searches for approximations of what you think
>>>> might be posted on the web somewhere, and most of that never turns up
>>>> anything useful.  Like every other android thing, it seems to be a
>>>> learn-by-doing process -- maybe easier than man pages because you can at
>>>> least SEE everything, but STILL :-(
>>>
>>> That's standard nowadays, OS manuals don't exist. You need to search for
>>> help on whatever version of Android is installed.
>>
>> And which is totally inadequate.  'Help' for apps is worse!
>
> You get what you pay for. What do you expect for something that is
> essentially free?
>
> Back when computers cost an arm and a leg, and software was relatively
> simple it was worthwhile writing manuals. Now that software is much more
> complex, changes rapidly and is very cheap there's little point.

The standard response to complaints:  "How much did you pay for it?" 
Still, I think I would take enough pride in MY work (if any) to make 
sure that people didn't throw it away within minutes because of an 
incomprehensible user interface -- especially if I wanted people to 
spend money for an upgrade.

"WTF does THAT mean?"  gets real old real fast.

-- 
Cheers, Bev
    I love the way Microsoft follows standards. In much the
    same manner that fish follow migrating caribou.
                                         -- Paul Tomblin

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#35244

In article <ntjm5h$tor$1@dont-email.me>, The Real Bev
<bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:

> 
> The standard response to complaints:  "How much did you pay for it?" 

no.

> Still, I think I would take enough pride in MY work (if any) to make 
> sure that people didn't throw it away within minutes because of an 
> incomprehensible user interface -- especially if I wanted people to 
> spend money for an upgrade.

the solution is a well designed user interface, one which is *not*
incomprehensible, where no manual is needed.

writing a manual to explain why the ui is horrible is the *wrong*
solution.

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#35259

On 10/11/2016 12:05 PM, Chris wrote:
> The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 10/09/2016 02:13 PM, Jeff Gaines wrote:
>>> On 09/10/2016 in message <nte91i$oj$1@dont-email.me> The Real Bev wrote:
>>>
>>>> Just bought a $75 Kodi device with little keyboard.  Nifty thing, but
>>>> absolutely NOT intuitive.  Moreover, there's no serious manual for it. The
>>>> best you can do is google searches for approximations of what you think
>>>> might be posted on the web somewhere, and most of that never turns up
>>>> anything useful.  Like every other android thing, it seems to be a
>>>> learn-by-doing process -- maybe easier than man pages because you can at
>>>> least SEE everything, but STILL :-(
>>>
>>> That's standard nowadays, OS manuals don't exist. You need to search for
>>> help on whatever version of Android is installed.
>>
>> And which is totally inadequate.  'Help' for apps is worse!
>
> You get what you pay for. What do you expect for something that is
> essentially free?
>
> Back when computers cost an arm and a leg, and software was relatively
> simple it was worthwhile writing manuals. Now that software is much more
> complex, changes rapidly and is very cheap there's little point.
>

It doesn't matter what the thing cost, I think Bev pointed out an issue 
that's relevant to all touch-screen devices.

On my linux laptop, when I move the cursor over an icon, a tooltip pops 
up to offer a clue to what the silly-assed little picture is going to 
cause if I'm gullible enough to click it.  If I'm looking for "copy" and 
the tooltip says "delete", then I know not to click it.

On touchscreen devices (Android or iOS) you get no clues.  The 
user-interfaces are uniformly lame because they are designed for 
children.  Kids work the things just fine.  For someone who's worked 
extensively in "root" mode where you can do anything, offering your 
system up for pot-luck-processing is somewhat daunting.

It's new technology and its adoption has outpaced its development. 
Sooner or later things will get better, the '53 Ford I used to have 
didn't have airbags, had a bumper you couldn't dent with a hammer, 
weighed a couple tons, seated 6 with reasonable comfort, and got 25mpg. 
Look how much better today's cars are, they can tell you that you're 
irretrievably lost because it can't get a network connection and 
gas-stations don't sell paper maps anymore.

<g>

-- 
http://totally-portable-software.blogspot.com
   [Sat Sep 03: "Associative Storage and Everything Everywhere"]

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#35262

On 10/12/2016 03:18 AM, crankypuss wrote:
> On 10/11/2016 12:05 PM, Chris wrote:
>> The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> On 10/09/2016 02:13 PM, Jeff Gaines wrote:
>>>> On 09/10/2016 in message <nte91i$oj$1@dont-email.me> The Real Bev wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Just bought a $75 Kodi device with little keyboard.  Nifty thing, but
>>>>> absolutely NOT intuitive.  Moreover, there's no serious manual for it. The
>>>>> best you can do is google searches for approximations of what you think
>>>>> might be posted on the web somewhere, and most of that never turns up
>>>>> anything useful.  Like every other android thing, it seems to be a
>>>>> learn-by-doing process -- maybe easier than man pages because you can at
>>>>> least SEE everything, but STILL :-(
>>>>
>>>> That's standard nowadays, OS manuals don't exist. You need to search for
>>>> help on whatever version of Android is installed.
>>>
>>> And which is totally inadequate.  'Help' for apps is worse!
>>
>> You get what you pay for. What do you expect for something that is
>> essentially free?
>>
>> Back when computers cost an arm and a leg, and software was relatively
>> simple it was worthwhile writing manuals. Now that software is much more
>> complex, changes rapidly and is very cheap there's little point.
>
> It doesn't matter what the thing cost, I think Bev pointed out an issue
> that's relevant to all touch-screen devices.
>
> On my linux laptop, when I move the cursor over an icon, a tooltip pops
> up to offer a clue to what the silly-assed little picture is going to
> cause if I'm gullible enough to click it.  If I'm looking for "copy" and
> the tooltip says "delete", then I know not to click it.

The 'seat-belt' indicator has always looked like "Ladies, please keep 
your knees together."

> On touchscreen devices (Android or iOS) you get no clues.  The
> user-interfaces are uniformly lame because they are designed for
> children.  Kids work the things just fine.  For someone who's worked
> extensively in "root" mode where you can do anything, offering your
> system up for pot-luck-processing is somewhat daunting.
>
> It's new technology and its adoption has outpaced its development.
> Sooner or later things will get better, the '53 Ford I used to have
> didn't have airbags, had a bumper you couldn't dent with a hammer,

This was a GOOD thing.  They were designed to, well, BUMP without 
damaging anything useful.  Given the frequency of tiny bumps vs bumps 
that deploy the airbags, not a bad tradeoff.   Most of us survived.

> weighed a couple tons, seated 6 with reasonable comfort, and got 25mpg.

On what planet?  15 was considered excellent in the 55 Chevy!

> Look how much better today's cars are, they can tell you that you're
> irretrievably lost because it can't get a network connection and
> gas-stations don't sell paper maps anymore.

Ah, a child.  Gas stations used to GIVE away paper maps!


-- 
Cheers, Bev
  "Look again at that dot.  That's here.  That's home.  That's us.  On it
   everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every
   human being who ever was, lived out their lives."         -- Carl Sagan

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#35264

In article <ntljgc$87e$1@dont-email.me>, The Real Bev
<bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:

> > Look how much better today's cars are, they can tell you that you're
> > irretrievably lost because it can't get a network connection and
> > gas-stations don't sell paper maps anymore.
> 
> Ah, a child.  Gas stations used to GIVE away paper maps!

and now they can be downloaded for anywhere in the world, then route
you wherever you want to go, *without* a network connection.

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#35266

On 12/10/2016 4:06 pm, The Real Bev wrote:

>> It's new technology and its adoption has outpaced its development.
>> Sooner or later things will get better, the '53 Ford I used to have
>> didn't have airbags, had a bumper you couldn't dent with a hammer,
> 
> This was a GOOD thing.  They were designed to, well, BUMP without 
> damaging anything useful.  Given the frequency of tiny bumps vs bumps 
> that deploy the airbags, not a bad tradeoff.   Most of us survived.
> 

I was in a shunt once. A Triumph sports car stopped suddenly at a
junction in the rain. I stopped quite easily too in my oldish Ford
Anglia. An old Ford Popular with the iron bumpers referred to just
stopped behind me, only to be rammed into me by a brand new Ford Corsair
(being delivered to a customer) which hit him from behind. An old Austin
van ran into the back of the lot. I had a badly bashed in boot (trunk -
US?), the new Corsair was a total insurance write off, the Austin had a
wrecked radiator, and the old Ford with it's iron bumpers sat in the
middle of it all without a scratch on it. Naturally we all checked on
the damage, and there weren't even any marks to speak of on the chrome
of his bumper.

I don't dare think of what would happen in a crash these days in cars
like the one I now have - or I would not go out in it. The crumple zones
don't even start to make me feel safe. The exploding bags of gas don't
do it for me either - although I do like seat belts.


-- 
Bob
Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England

Wife - a woman who has ceased to be your girlfriend but resents anyone
trying to fill the vacancy.

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#35281

On 10/12/2016 08:41 AM, Bob Henson wrote:
> On 12/10/2016 4:06 pm, The Real Bev wrote:
>
>>> It's new technology and its adoption has outpaced its development.
>>> Sooner or later things will get better, the '53 Ford I used to have
>>> didn't have airbags, had a bumper you couldn't dent with a hammer,
>>
>> This was a GOOD thing.  They were designed to, well, BUMP without
>> damaging anything useful.  Given the frequency of tiny bumps vs bumps
>> that deploy the airbags, not a bad tradeoff.   Most of us survived.
>>
>
> I was in a shunt once. A Triumph sports car stopped suddenly at a
> junction in the rain. I stopped quite easily too in my oldish Ford
> Anglia. An old Ford Popular with the iron bumpers referred to just
> stopped behind me, only to be rammed into me by a brand new Ford Corsair
> (being delivered to a customer) which hit him from behind. An old Austin
> van ran into the back of the lot. I had a badly bashed in boot (trunk -
> US?), the new Corsair was a total insurance write off, the Austin had a
> wrecked radiator, and the old Ford with it's iron bumpers sat in the
> middle of it all without a scratch on it. Naturally we all checked on
> the damage, and there weren't even any marks to speak of on the chrome
> of his bumper.
>
> I don't dare think of what would happen in a crash these days in cars
> like the one I now have - or I would not go out in it. The crumple zones
> don't even start to make me feel safe. The exploding bags of gas don't
> do it for me either - although I do like seat belts.

My 1978 Caddy was rear-ended by a stupid girl driving her Datsun HS 
graduation present.  Her head hit the windshield (I saw the spiderweb) 
and her front end was totally bashed-in and needed a tow.  The body shop 
wanted to replace my spring-loaded STEEL bumper because it might have 
sustained damage, but I skipped that and just checked the frame 
alignment.  No problem.

I feel safer being surrounded by 6 airbags instead of actual sturdy 
metal, but the odds are in favor of expensive dings rather than total 
destruction.

-- 
Cheers, Bev
   Giving out free MS security updates is like giving out free
   band-aids with flesh-eating microbes in the pads.

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#35269

The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 10/12/2016 03:18 AM, crankypuss wrote:
>> On 10/11/2016 12:05 PM, Chris wrote:
>>> The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> On 10/09/2016 02:13 PM, Jeff Gaines wrote:
>>>>> On 09/10/2016 in message <nte91i$oj$1@dont-email.me> The Real Bev wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> Just bought a $75 Kodi device with little keyboard.  Nifty thing, but
>>>>>> absolutely NOT intuitive.  Moreover, there's no serious manual for it. The
>>>>>> best you can do is google searches for approximations of what you think
>>>>>> might be posted on the web somewhere, and most of that never turns up
>>>>>> anything useful.  Like every other android thing, it seems to be a
>>>>>> learn-by-doing process -- maybe easier than man pages because you can at
>>>>>> least SEE everything, but STILL :-(
>>>>> 
>>>>> That's standard nowadays, OS manuals don't exist. You need to search for
>>>>> help on whatever version of Android is installed.
>>>> 
>>>> And which is totally inadequate.  'Help' for apps is worse!
>>> 
>>> You get what you pay for. What do you expect for something that is
>>> essentially free?
>>> 
>>> Back when computers cost an arm and a leg, and software was relatively
>>> simple it was worthwhile writing manuals. Now that software is much more
>>> complex, changes rapidly and is very cheap there's little point.
>> 
>> It doesn't matter what the thing cost, I think Bev pointed out an issue
>> that's relevant to all touch-screen devices.
>> 
>> On my linux laptop, when I move the cursor over an icon, a tooltip pops
>> up to offer a clue to what the silly-assed little picture is going to
>> cause if I'm gullible enough to click it.  If I'm looking for "copy" and
>> the tooltip says "delete", then I know not to click it.
> 
> The 'seat-belt' indicator has always looked like "Ladies, please keep 
> your knees together."
> 
>> On touchscreen devices (Android or iOS) you get no clues.  The
>> user-interfaces are uniformly lame because they are designed for
>> children.  Kids work the things just fine.  For someone who's worked
>> extensively in "root" mode where you can do anything, offering your
>> system up for pot-luck-processing is somewhat daunting.
>> 
>> It's new technology and its adoption has outpaced its development.
>> Sooner or later things will get better, the '53 Ford I used to have
>> didn't have airbags, had a bumper you couldn't dent with a hammer,
> 
> This was a GOOD thing.  They were designed to, well, BUMP without 
> damaging anything useful.  Given the frequency of tiny bumps vs bumps 
> that deploy the airbags, not a bad tradeoff.   Most of us survived.

Ah the good old days! When there was no shortage of young, healthy organ
donors...

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#35267

In article <ntl2vd$d39$2@dont-email.me>, Crankypuss wrote:
> On my linux laptop, when I move the cursor over an icon, a tooltip
> pops up to offer a clue to what the silly-assed little picture is
> going to cause if I'm gullible enough to click it.  If I'm looking
> for "copy" and the tooltip says "delete", then I know not to click
> it.
> 
> On touchscreen devices (Android or iOS) you get no clues.

Excellent point, well made.

> The user-interfaces are uniformly lame because they are designed for 
> children.

Not for children ... I don't think that's the point ... for devices that 
don't allow rich interaction with the hardware. If there isn't a pointer 
to hover over the stupid little picture then the software doesn't know 
to give you a tooltip, and if you only have a touch-screen rather than a 
proper pointing device then the hardware won't know where to draw a 
pointer for you to let it hover.

> Kids work the things just fine.

Only if they know what the stupid little pictures mean!

-- 
Cheers,
 Daniel.
 

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#35270

crankypuss <undisclosedUserid@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 10/11/2016 12:05 PM, Chris wrote:
>> The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> On 10/09/2016 02:13 PM, Jeff Gaines wrote:
>>>> On 09/10/2016 in message <nte91i$oj$1@dont-email.me> The Real Bev wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Just bought a $75 Kodi device with little keyboard.  Nifty thing, but
>>>>> absolutely NOT intuitive.  Moreover, there's no serious manual for it. The
>>>>> best you can do is google searches for approximations of what you think
>>>>> might be posted on the web somewhere, and most of that never turns up
>>>>> anything useful.  Like every other android thing, it seems to be a
>>>>> learn-by-doing process -- maybe easier than man pages because you can at
>>>>> least SEE everything, but STILL :-(
>>>> 
>>>> That's standard nowadays, OS manuals don't exist. You need to search for
>>>> help on whatever version of Android is installed.
>>> 
>>> And which is totally inadequate.  'Help' for apps is worse!
>> 
>> You get what you pay for. What do you expect for something that is
>> essentially free?
>> 
>> Back when computers cost an arm and a leg, and software was relatively
>> simple it was worthwhile writing manuals. Now that software is much more
>> complex, changes rapidly and is very cheap there's little point.
>> 
> 
> It doesn't matter what the thing cost, I think Bev pointed out an issue 
> that's relevant to all touch-screen devices.
> 
> On my linux laptop, when I move the cursor over an icon, a tooltip pops 
> up to offer a clue to what the silly-assed little picture is going to 
> cause if I'm gullible enough to click it.  If I'm looking for "copy" and 
> the tooltip says "delete", then I know not to click it.
> 
> On touchscreen devices (Android or iOS) you get no clues.  The 
> user-interfaces are uniformly lame because they are designed for 
> children.  Kids work the things just fine.  

And what do kids do? They just click things and learn what they do. They
don't have some magical sixth sense - simply a lack of fear of catastrophe.

That's the way I prefer to learn too. Not died, yet ;)

> For someone who's worked 
> extensively in "root" mode where you can do anything, offering your 
> system up for pot-luck-processing is somewhat daunting.

Most touch devices are designed to be safe and are never in root mode
(unless a user chooses it).

It's hard to do anything 'really bad' on iOS or Android.

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#35286

crankypuss <undisclosedUserid@gmail.com> writes:

> It doesn't matter what the thing cost, I think Bev pointed out an
> issue that's relevant to all touch-screen devices.
>
> On my linux laptop, when I move the cursor over an icon, a tooltip
> pops up to offer a clue to what the silly-assed little picture is
> going to cause if I'm gullible enough to click it.  If I'm looking for
> "copy" and the tooltip says "delete", then I know not to click it.
>
> On touchscreen devices (Android or iOS) you get no clues.

I can't agree. With a quick look at my most commonly used apps on
Android they usually have one or two buttons on a top bar, usually
there's some variation of the "hamburger" button which opens a menu with
text entries. Some have also text tabs and/or a single button for a
common action floating on bottom right. For example, the text message
app has a button with a plus inside which creates a new message. This is
Google's "Material Design" design language they came up with a couple of
years ago.

Some older apps (like K-9 Mail) have incomprehensible buttons on a
bottom bar. That feels like an unfortunate design that should've died
with Nokia... On the other hand, some apps decidedly *not* following
"Material Design" (Ghost Commander file manager, MyPhoneExplorer PC sync
tool) use buttons with text on them.

Do you have concrete examples of Android and iOS apps that have
incomprehensible icons? 

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#35315

On Thu, 13 Oct 2016 09:41:08 +0300, Anssi Saari wrote:

> has a button with a plus inside which creates a new message.

Could also be used, though, for "expand to show more detail", no?
Or "add" something (an address? an attachment? who can tell?).

Ambiguous until you've discovered what it signifies. Cheers, -- tlvp
-- 
Avant de repondre, jeter la poubelle, SVP.

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#35472

tlvp <mPiOsUcB.EtLlLvEp@att.net> writes:

> On Thu, 13 Oct 2016 09:41:08 +0300, Anssi Saari wrote:
>
>> has a button with a plus inside which creates a new message.
>
> Could also be used, though, for "expand to show more detail", no?

Expand what though? This is the main view of the app that shows "all
messages" (grouped by thread recipient and sorted newest first.)

> Or "add" something (an address? an attachment? who can tell?).

Sure. But again to what? It's not message composition or contact
management.

> Ambiguous until you've discovered what it signifies. Cheers, -- tlvp

Sure. Then again the nipple is the only intuitive UI, everything else is
learned. Oh and regarding the subject, I took another look and there is
help for sending an SMS which starts with hitting the + button so
there's a way to find out other than blindly hitting the button.

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#35484

On Tue, 18 Oct 2016 09:27:03 +0300, Anssi Saari wrote:

> Oh and regarding the subject, I took another look and there is
> help for sending an SMS which starts with hitting the + button so
> there's a way to find out other than blindly hitting the button.

Well, there ya go :-) . Cheers, -- tlvp
-- 
Avant de repondre, jeter la poubelle, SVP.

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#35233

The Real Bev schrieb am 2016-10-09 um 22:24:

> Just bought a $75 Kodi device with little keyboard.  Nifty thing, but 
> absolutely NOT intuitive.  Moreover, there's no serious manual for it.

What are you looking for? A manual for Kodi? That's an Open Source software:

<http://kodi.wiki/>

Or is the "Kodi" you are talking about, something else? And what does
this have to do with Android?


-- 
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de
http://de-rec-fahrrad.de
http://fahrradzukunft.de

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