361286 - offline indicator only uses color to indicate state

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Thunderbird :: Mail Window Front End, defect)

Description

[(not reading, please use [e-mail] instead)]

in the new tbird theme, the offline indicator only uses color to indicate state.

specifically, it is the same light bulb, either yellow or grey.  (previously, it was a plug that was either connected or not.)

from http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Accessible_XUL_Authoring_Guidelines

"Don't rely on color alone to present information -- for example, don't use different colored dots to indicate different states. Avoid low contrast combinations such as blue-green or other color combinations such as red-green that are troublesome for individuals with color-blindness (10% of men)."

Comment 1

[(not reading, please use [e-mail] instead)]

note, the offline status can be determined by mousing over the icon to get the tooltip or by looking at the "file | offline | work offline" menu item, which has a check state.  so perhaps the light bulb icon is ok?  (mark / aaronl, what do you think?)

Comment 2

[(not reading, please use [e-mail] instead)]

Attachment: screen shots of both states

Comment 3

[Evan Yan]

the indicator is exposed as "push button", and has name "You are currently online/offline". So I think it doesn't rely on color *alone*, and it should be enough for at-tools to tell disabled users what it is.

Comment 4

[Aaron Leventhal]

Color blind users don't generally run an AT. So it's important to use enough contrast between the visual indication of states.

Keep in mind, 8-10% of men have red-green colorblindness.

Comment 5

[Jimisola Laursen]

+1

The status SHOULD NOT (only) be indicated using a color. The difference between yellow and light-gray are to slim and using green and red will be troublesome for individuals that are color-blind. I propose that it is indicated by a plug (that is connected or disconnected) as used before.

Comment 6

[Mike Cowperthwaite]

This has been changed already in the default (classic/qute) theme -- the lightbulb still dims to grey for "offline," but there's also a diagonal line across it.  Still needs to change for Pinstripe?

Comment 7

[Aaron Leventhal]

If there's a line through it that fixes the problem.

Comment 8

[David Bolter [:davidb] (NeedInfo me for attention)]

Yes, Mike is correct, at the time of this comment, the qute theme has a line: 
http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/mail/themes/qute/mail/icons/offline.png

While pinstripe does not:
http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/mail/themes/pinstripe/mail/icons/offline.png

Looks like an incredibly simple fix :)

Comment 9

[David Bolter [:davidb] (NeedInfo me for attention)]

Attachment: proposed fix

Comment 10

[David :Bienvenu]

Comment on attachment 255168 [details]
proposed fix

switching to mscott

Comment 11

[Scott MacGregor]

Comment on attachment 255168 [details]
proposed fix

I think we need to change the pinstripe and not copy the qute icon, they aren't the same. The pinstripe icon could use the same idea as qute (i.e. the slash).

Comment 12

[David Bolter [:davidb] (NeedInfo me for attention)]

Attachment: added a line through to the offline image.

Just added a black strike-through.

Comment 13

[Scott MacGregor]

Comment on attachment 267714 [details]
added a line through to the offline image.

thanks for updating the pinstripe icon David!

Comment 14

[Phil Ringnalda (:philor)]

mail/themes/pinstripe/mail/icons/offline.png 1.2