Erik Moeller wrote:
On Tue, Nov 26, 2013 at 3:54 AM, Nick White
<nick.white(a)durham.ac.uk>
wrote:
Oh, and while it's maybe better discussed
elsewhere, I certainly
disagree with the idea of a separate interface for editors and
readers. The emphasis on encouraging editing from everybody is
really important, and I think it would be undermined by doing that.
I'd rather have a slightly less attractive reading interface than
have all editor relevant links hidden by default (not that I am
convinced such a trade-off would be necessary).
I think when framed as "reader vs. editor" that's certainly a
reasonable argument, but I think it's more about progressive
disclosure of editing tools and links rather than treating readers as
consumers. We do ourselves no favors by cluttering the initial user
experience with every possible link we think could be helpful, without
prioritization and gradual discovery.
Reducing interface clutter is often good design. However, as an example,
the Usability Initiative from 2009 put the "move" function in a drop-down
menu and we have subsequently seen an increase in copy-paste moves (users
can't figure out how to move a page!). Similarly, the "Tools" section
(formerly "Toolbox") of the sidebar is collapsed by default in Vector,
obscuring many useful tools for millions of readers (including "what links
here" and "page information").
It may make sense to put "settings" in a drop-down menu below a user's
username. Same with "log out". My broader point was that while I see
efforts being made toward setting up a beta opt-in infrastructure (i.e.,
BetaFeatures), I still don't see how that gets us closer to evaluating and
assessing designs and design choices. Is the idea simply to solicit
feedback (rather than ArticleFeedback, we now have FeaturesFeedback)?
And while it may make sense to tuck "preferences" and "log out" away,
when
it comes to "watchlist" or "contributions," there very well may be a
difference between what editors and readers will want easily accessible.
As previously discussed (though perhaps it's time for a renewed
discussion), there's a credible argument that such a user interface schism
is inevitable and that embracing it honestly may be the best option.
MZMcBride