55066 - usability: do not default to POP

Status: VERIFIED INVALID

(SeaMonkey :: MailNews: Account Configuration, enhancement, P3)

Description

[bobj]

When setting up a new mail account, for usability, I'd prefer that there is
no default mail type (POP or IMAP), but force the user to select one.

I tend to type in the info requested and hit NEXT.  So a few times, I 
accidentally forgot to change the POP default to IMAP.

Comment 1

[Alec Flett]

most consumer-grade users (i.e. around 90%) use POP... reassigning to jglick to
make the decision or mark invalid. I think it will be difficult to design a UI
that does not have a default... not to mention the widgets all default to their
first item automatically.

Comment 2

[jglick]

You should always try to have a default for users, especially in a Wizard. When 
users don't know what to enter, they will just go with the default.  I believe 
Alec is correct in the fact that most users are still POP users, so this is the 
most likely default. 

I also sometimes make this same mistake because I use IMAP, and go through 
account setup wizards quickly (other mail apps also use the POP default), but I 
don't think having NO default is the correct solution.  

Marking invalid since POP was choosen as the default on purpose.

Comment 3

[Matthew T (active 1999-2002)]

Verified invalid. Radio buttons or a popup menu must always have a default 
choice, and having a `(None)' choice -- which couldn't be used -- would be 
thoroughly weird.

So the only way not to have a default would be to use `POP' and `IMAP' buttons to 
go to the next page of the wizard. And using buttons would be inconsistent with 
the `Next' button of the other pages.

Naturally, I'm looking forward to the day when IMAP is the default. :-)