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"Check All" UI is error-prone


MyNameHere

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Hi, I know I've mentioned this before somewhere, but I searched around in the web forum and didn't find it -- maybe I commented on it in the newsgroups.

The little check box nicely positioned just above all the individual message checkboxes is a very poor UI design, despite seeming very logical and aesthetically pleasing and all that.

Several times, I have clicked on that sucker while trying to select the first message and then zipped over to Delete so fast I didn't realize what I had done until it was too late. And that's a bear to clean up.

There are at least two solutions to this problem (short of making all users be slow and methodical and have better aim). I mention these in my order of preference:

1. The "check all" function could be a button or link in another location, like it used to be.

2. All the other functions could display a confirmation dialog if invoked while "check all" is checked.

Thanks for considering this issue.

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Hi, I know I've mentioned this before somewhere, but I searched around in the web forum and didn't find it -- maybe I commented on it in the newsgroups.

And I think I read those other comments, but just where? .... you can go to search, advanced, look for "your" posts ... (also thinking that you can do it from the user account details screen) I did try to find things posted elsewhere to move 'here' to populate this place ans try to get exposure for those items ... so the catch is either I didn't see it either, or it was buried in another discussion .. apologies for not finding it (if it's here <g>)

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1. The "check all" function could be a button or link in another location, like it used to be.

When was it in a different location? I have been here for 2+ years and don't ever remember it being different. To me it is intuitive what that checkmark does.

I have the same design on 2 different webmail systems I have access to and have never had a problem with it.

I would agree 2. should be mandatory on any UI.

P.S. I do think it was in the forums

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When was it in a different location?  I have been here for 2+ years and don't ever remember it being different.

22629[/snapback]

Well, the old brain isn't sure. I've been using Spamcop since before webmail, and I think an early version had a separate link or -- hmmm -- I'm getting an image of a dropdown list here. Something like that.

To me it is intuitive what that checkmark does.

I have the same design on 2 different webmail systems I have access to and have never had a problem with it.

22629[/snapback]

No problem? Probably, you have much better aim than some of us. ;)

Here's my stuck-up software-engineer comment, and then I'll be quiet.

There are a lot of software designers out there who think if it's logical and looks nice then that's the way it should be built. Like, what could be more aesthetically pleasing (or even "intuitive") than having the same pattern in the header as in the data rows? Plus, a lot of us plagiarize. So IMHO that's why you'll find the design in other webmail systems.

But who's done the human factors study on this? If a design helps fumble-moused bozos to delete all their messages occasionally, then that design should be reconsidered, regardless of how intuitively appealing it may be. (Heck, even I find its function intuitively obvious and therefore attractive.) The problem is ergonomics. The physical location of that function should be farther away from the top data row (which is where the mistakes occur).

And, to be pedantic, it isn't even logically consistent to put that "check all" box in the column header, because it performs a different function than all the other column headers (the others perform a sort function).

All done.

B)

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