90154 - Quick Launch preference checkbox has bad placement/wording [turbo]

Status: VERIFIED WONTFIX

(SeaMonkey :: Preferences, defect)

Description

[Matthew T (active 1999-2002)]

This bug is based on attachment 40218 [details] in bug 84882.

The Quick Launch pref checkbox is currently in a group box all by itself, at 
the top level of the `Advanced' category.

It should be in the `System' category, along with the other Windows-specific 
OS-related prefs.

[/] Keep Mozilla in memory for quick launching (like MSIE)
    (i) Changes take effect when you restart Windows.

Comment 1

[sairuh (rarely reading bugmail)]

assuming that quick launch isn't going to be implement on non-win32 platforms,
putting this option in the System panel is a great idea. thing is, i'm not
absolutely sure about the state/plans/future of said feature on non-win32
platforms...

->blake for now, cc'ing vishy.

Comment 2

[Alex Bishop]

I'm not sure if the text should mention MSIE. Most users won't be aware of how
Internet Explorer loads when Windows does. In addition, it's not generally a
great idea to mention rival products - some users may have never used IE (so
this reference will be meaningless) and it could be seen as promoting it (not
what we want).

Comment 3

[timeless]

Mentioning ie is wrong because it isn't the case for some instances (eg 
windows95osr0). Reguardless of whether this is implemented for other platforms, 
sticking this in the system panel makes sense.

Comment 4

[Blake Ross]

I agree with the proposed UI.  MSIE will be a link to microsoft.com/windows/ie.

usability/polish, 0.9.4.

Comment 5

[Alex Bishop]

On the Mac, shouldn't MSIE be a link to
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/ie/ie_default.asp ?

I don't think linking to the competition is a great idea...

Comment 6

[Alex Bishop]

Wait, scratch that. Turbo mode is Windows only, isn't it? Sorry, I was thinking.
I'm an idiot.

Comment 7

[Alex Bishop]

<QA Ignore>

"Sorry, I was thinking" should have been "Sorry, I wasn't thinking"

It's not turning out to be a good day...

Sorry for the spam.

</QA Ignore>

Comment 8

[Matthew T (active 1999-2002)]

> I'm not sure if the text should mention MSIE. Most users won't be aware of
> how Internet Explorer loads when Windows does.

That's exactly why we should mention it -- so that it doesn't seem like we're 
`cheating' any more than the competition is.

> In addition, it's not generally a great idea to mention rival products

MS Word, for example, has options like `Do full justification like WordPerfect 
6.x for Windows', `Set the width of a space like WordPerfect 5.x', and 
`Suppress extra line spacing like WordPerfect 5.x'. And MSIE itself has a `Help 
for Netscape Users' item in its `Help' menu. (Mozilla should have an equivalent 
menu item, but that's another bug.)

>                                                                        - some
> users may have never used IE (so this reference will be meaningless)

That's why it's in brackets, following the main explanation.

> I don't think linking to the competition is a great idea...

Okay, apparently Blake's sense of humor is a little too subtle for some of us.

Comment 9

[timeless]

well then i suggest we rename quick launch. if we're trying to describe 
features in reference to IE we shouldn't give this feature a name which already 
has meaning to MSIE users, one which is very different from but might be 
confused w/ the meaning we want.

Comment 10

[Alex Bishop]

> MS Word, for example, has options like `Do full justification like WordPerfect
> 6.x for Windows', `Set the width of a space like WordPerfect 5.x', and
> `Suppress extra line spacing like WordPerfect 5.x'. And MSIE itself has a
> `Help for Netscape Users' item in its `Help' menu. (Mozilla should have an
> equivalent menu item, but that's another bug.)

Those features are mainly to make switching easier for users of rival products.
I can see the point of mentioning MSIE in that respect (but I think the text
should say "Microsoft Internet Explorer" rather than "MSIE").

>> I don't think linking to the competition is a great idea...

> Okay, apparently Blake's sense of humor is a little too subtle for some of us.

No need to patronise me. As I said, my brain wasn't in gear that day (not that
it is that often).

Comment 11

[Peter Trudelle]

I disagree with the proposed change.  QuickLaunch isn't a Windows system
setting, doesn't work just like IE, and it isn't like the other items in the
System pane either, in that they all reflect Windows-specific application
mappings that other apps can change.  If we did put it there, we'd have to
isolate it from the 'Alert me if other apps change this' checkbox.  In any case,
I think any perceived benefit of moving it is far outweighed by the confusion
that would cause existing users. Better that we leave it until we have to
rearrange things overall, for stronger reasons.
BTW, if someone still does this, I think the text should say "We *tried* to copy
IE"  ;-)

Comment 12

[Peter Trudelle]

Mass moving lower-priority bugs to 0.9.6 (with Blake's pre-consent) to make room
for remaining 0.9.4/eMojo bugs and MachV planning, performance and feature work.
 If anyone disagrees with the new target, please let me know.

Comment 13

[Matthew T (active 1999-2002)]

The purpose of the `System' prefs panel is to deal with OS-specific settings, 
which is exactly what Quick Launch is. Whether other apps can change these 
settings is irrelevant. For example, Mozilla on Unix should have UI in the 
`System' panel to choose the selection color, because other OSes provide UI for 
this in system control panels but Unix does not.

FWIW I agree about renaming Quick Launch, but that's really a separate bug 
since (AFAIK) it's not mentioned only in the prefs.

Comment 14

[Alex Vincent [:WeirdAl]]

Saw this on the Patch Maker list with an upcoming milestone, so I figured, "why
not"?  Been playing with PM for JS strict warnings, might as well tinker with
XUL while I'm at it.

What about "Gecko Catapult Launch"?  Or something along those lines?  Catapult
sounds good to me -- and rather accurate, as in a sense that's what QL does:  it
loads a portion so the rest of it is ready to fire much more quickly.

More importantly, do you want it to stay where it is or do you want me to move it?

Comment 15

[Alex Bishop]

> What about "Gecko Catapult Launch"?

You're not serious are you?

Comment 16

[Alex Vincent [:WeirdAl]]

Only about getting your idea of Mozilla 1.0 to happen.  That's why I commented
here, to get a feel for what you guys want so I can drive up a patch for this.

Comment 17

[Blake Ross]

It'll be too late to move this once turbo is on by default (if it's not too late
already), so we should decide final positioning now.  Cc'ing potential people to
help do that.

Comment 18

[Peter Trudelle]

MPT: QuickLaunch is not all OS-specific, it is just currently implemented on
only one OS.  Would we have to move the pref again when we implement it on other
platforms?  BTW, if we added a pref for selection color, it should probably go
in Appearance:Colors, because it is the natural mapping, and users are much more
likely to look there than in Advanced:System.  I doubt that many users have any
concept of System-specific prefs, to them the OS is like water must be to a
fish.  It is likely only the rare user of multiple operating systems that makes
much distinction about system-specifics.  Is there any data that leaving the
pref where it is causes problems?  Any reason to believe moving it anywhere else
would increase discoverability?

Comment 19

[Blake Ross]

I think the current location is fine.  And as trudelle points out, it's really 
not os-specific.

Comment 20

[sairuh (rarely reading bugmail)]

v