[Freeipa-devel] Should we remove the reset button?

[Ben Dubrovsky]

Hi, 

I'm sympathetic to the argument that Nielsen makes about reset. 

One thing to consider, however, is that he's arguing from a point of view that differentiates applications from web pages -- that when people are using the web, they are in a different kind of environment from applications, and therefore, "back" is equivalent to "reset".  His argument relies on the idea that most people will easily and definitively understand the affordances of the web, vs those of an application.

I'm not so sure I agree with that.  I think we're blurring the line between web site and application, and our users will be really focused on their work -- they may be conditioned to think "application" for LDAP type management, even though the delivery is in a browser.

That said -- I'm OK removing the "reset" button as a device, but would still like to have the functionality to support the case where a user says, "Ah - darn.  I was looking at the wrong piece of paper, and I have to start over again quickly."

**My suggestion for that is to expand on Adam's line-level undo, and put a link on the screen somewhere that allows the user to "undo all" or something like that.**

I do think we need a "Cancel" button still, though.  There is something far more definitive in a user clicking "Cancel" than hitting "Back".



On Oct 24, 2010, at 5:45 PM, Dmitri Pal wrote:

> Adam Young wrote:
>> http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20000416.html
>> 
>> Since we have line level undo (which he advocates) perhaps the reset
>> button is not worth while.  Since the user can reload the page at
>> will, there is a built in reset button already, and there slight risk
>> of hitting the wrong button may in fact outweigh the value of putting
>> the feature in place.
>> 
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>> 
> Good point might be worth reevaluating.
> Ben?
> 
> -- 
> Thank you,
> Dmitri Pal
> 
> Engineering Manager IPA project,
> Red Hat Inc.
> 
> 
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