Colin largely sums up my feelings on the matter as well as my
interpretation of (what I see as a flaw in) Mark's perspective.  Tooltip
information is something that I check not just daily but several times
per hour and include:

-Which WIFI network I'm connected to (I have to juggle a couple at work)
-The currently playing track in Rhythmbox
-Estimated time remaining on my battery
-Audio output percentage over 100%

What makes this especially aggravating [every ten minutes] is the latter
two, which as others have explained are NOT available with a simple
click at this time.

There are ways to beatify and improve tooltips (example here:
http://blogs.gnome.org/mccann/2009/11/01/just-leave-it-on-the-counter/
), and just naming obvious icons is certainly something that should be
avoided as a properly designed icon SHOULD be self-explanatory.  But
removing them outright glosses over the place where tooltips truly
shine, which is providing useful, specific, informative details that do
not have a place in the primary GUI or that can be summed up in the
icon.  The perfect example is the battery meter icon which is easily
identifiable without a tooltip, displays battery/adapter status, and an
at-a-glance approximation of the charge.  What it is unable to display
without unnecessary clutter is the precise charge percentage and
estimated time remaining, which are very useful details and should be
available with absolute minimal interruption of the user's workflow.

Requiring several clicks and refocusing is ADDING to interruption and
user interface clutter, not reducing it.  The real consequences of this
change are PRECISELY CONTRARY to the intended consequence.  Yes tooltips
are used poorly in some instances.  A targeted approach to
beautification and alignment with purpose is certainly due but mass
removal is the completely wrong approach to the problem.  I understand
that it's too late to beautify and target tooltip issues individually
but it isn't too late to leave them in place.  To top it all off an LTS
release when Ubuntu is at the height of its technological polish is
absolutely the wrong place to leave such a glaring wound in the
individual user's experience.

-- 
please include status messages/tooltips
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/527458
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu.

-- 
ubuntu-bugs mailing list
ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com
https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs

Reply via email to