+1 To the *sigh*
Now for the obligatory tear down:
- "Image-mode", complete lack of understanding/reinvention of
Wikipedia content. Replacing Wikipedia's emphasis on content
with a mode where some random image that may only be partially
related to the information in the article is brought forward
as something primary. (Not that the majority of articles even
have a primary image in the first place).
- "To focus on the content and text, no references or links
are shown by default. You have to manually turn these on in
the menu." WTF! This is very anti-user/bad-usability. Users
are not going to look into the menu to turn on links. The mass
majority of them are never going to realize that links even
exists. And as much as you might think https://xkcd.com/214/
is a problem links are used by users to jump from article to
article when they realize that the information they are
looking for is really part of a related article rather than
the one they are currently on. This "feature" will actively
hinder reader's ability to navigate Wikipedia.
- Additionally as much as someone might dislike the "clutter",
references are an important fact of Wikipedia. References
verify whether you can or can't trust a "fact" that's been put
up on Wikipedia. Verifying the sources is a oft done but
important part of seriously using the Encyclopedia. Hiding
them doesn't help encourage that any more.
- The search bar. I can understand the supposed rationale for
putting search at the bottom. But before you jump on random
untested idea, I'd like to see actual usability tests on
putting the search field down there. Especially on tablets.
Cause usability studies so far have shown that the best place
for search fields is the upper right (well left on rtl).
Otherwise it can become harder for random readers to find the
location of the search bar.
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/12/04/designing-the-holy-search-box-examples-and-best-practices/
~Daniel Friesen (Dantman, Nadir-Seen-Fire) [http://danielfriesen.name/]
On 2013-06-04 9:13 AM, Brandon Harris wrote: