Re:Firefox 3 smart bar is just too smart
by derefr on Tuesday June 17, 2008 @08:31PM
(#220380)
People only want to learn one thing. If there's a default way, and an optional way, most people will use the default, so you'll be able to expect it and learn it. If, however, everyone is forced to choose at the beginning (without a default), there will be a pretty even distribution of people with and without the feature enabled. In a case where this severely affects the usability of the browser for those who aren't used to it (e.g. those who expect to be able to use the beginnings of URLs in the smart bar and can't, and, vice versa, those who expect to use keywords in the "old bar" and can't), this causes problems.
For example, say you wanted to set up computers for public use at a school or library. Which way is it better to set the option? If it were a default/option pair, it would obviously be better to set it to the default, since people would be more familiar with it. If, however, it were just two equally valid options, which one would people be more likely to be familiar with? Multiply this by every possible [add-on on/add-on off] pair, and you have, perhaps, 1000 or more default browser configurations, any of which are equally likely to run into in the wild!
Anyway, on your first point, I think users need to be a little more sensitive to the fact that, if they don't allow themselves to be pushed out of their comfort zone every once in a while, their experience using their software (or anything for that matter) will never improve. If a feature worked crappily, one would never know it until they adapt to the "new way" enough to see how bad it was before. Until then, their comfort with the old way makes them much too partial to be a good judge.
For example, say you wanted to set up computers for public use at a school or library. Which way is it better to set the option? If it were a default/option pair, it would obviously be better to set it to the default, since people would be more familiar with it. If, however, it were just two equally valid options, which one would people be more likely to be familiar with? Multiply this by every possible [add-on on/add-on off] pair, and you have, perhaps, 1000 or more default browser configurations, any of which are equally likely to run into in the wild!
Anyway, on your first point, I think users need to be a little more sensitive to the fact that, if they don't allow themselves to be pushed out of their comfort zone every once in a while, their experience using their software (or anything for that matter) will never improve. If a feature worked crappily, one would never know it until they adapt to the "new way" enough to see how bad it was before. Until then, their comfort with the old way makes them much too partial to be a good judge.