Rowan Collins wrote:
- it was possible to select more than two articles if a) you were
quick enough or b) you clicked the browser's back button
This happened to me a lot. I usually only use the feature when I am investigating some quarrel, and that usually requires me to compare many different versions so that I can understand what happened. To get around this, I often had to deselect everything and start over, or reload the page.
So clearly, it is desirable that hitting the back button doesn't lead to anything annoying like this.
- it was impossible to use in any browser that did not have JavaScript
enabled (including old ones, text-based ones, ones belonging to the security paranoid, etc)
*nod*
- a self-submitting form gives you no chance to change your mind, or
even work out what the boxes mean, before it starts processing your "selection"
*nod*
- check-boxes don't normally work like that, so people won't be
expecting that to happen [OK, so this point's more subjective than the others]
Sure, I agree, even with your "backing off" point. It is a little bit astonishing to people, but I'm not sure if this was really really bad.
The current system uses a far more standard set of UI elements - a set of radio buttons is defined as only having one selected at a time, and people are used to that behaviour.
Agreed.
It seems like radio buttons are the right way to go, but the "interface sugar" should go away. That's what Brion has suggested, and I like it.
I think people do expect radio buttons in this case, and I think people do not expect radio buttons to magically appear and disappear. It makes me want to cry, anyway.
--Jimbo