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Idea #18968: Focus an attention of user on shutdown confirmation dialog

Written by Haku the 1 Apr 09 at 12:08. Related project: Gnome. Status: New
Rationale
In Jaunty Jackalope 9.04 beta is added shutdown/restart/logout confirmation dialog. This dialog is important at the moment. Focus an attention of user on it.

768
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Solution #1: Fade down ambient to focus on dialog
Written by Haku the 1 Apr 09 at 12:08.
Fade down all the ambient to focus on dialog. Something like ADD Helper in Compiz do or when an administrative password is required.

Without fading
Without fading

With fading
With fading
258
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Solution #2: Fade out gradually as time runs out
Written by robertjlee the 1 Apr 09 at 17:56.
The ambiant focus could be faded down smoothly as the time runs out, increasingly drawing the user's attention to the dialog.

This would be less intrusive than #1, and allow the user to more easily finish whatever they're doing, save work etc. when the dialog appears before the screen became too dark to use
-64
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Solution #3: Let Compiz do this
Written by sandrex the 7 Apr 09 at 13:42.
I liked it, but Compiz is actually the 3d desktop for linux.
Then I think this should be propose to compiz developers.
Let Compiz do this.
-11
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Solution #4: Play default or custom logout music
Written by ricardisimo the 7 May 09 at 09:25.
Some faux bossa nova cheese or Muzak would be perfect for the timed logout. The first minute of All Natural Lemon and Lime Flavors' "Spin Cycle" is my first choice. Once that particular joke starts to wear on you, just plug in some modal jazz or baroque piano piece.

Propose your solution

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Comments
andruk (Idea reviewer) wrote on the 1 Apr 09 at 17:57
Schweet.

Pizdec wrote on the 2 Apr 09 at 08:33
-1, don't like this idea.

Haku wrote on the 2 Apr 09 at 09:39
The same thing as Solution #1 is applied when administrative password is required.

codexx wrote on the 3 Apr 09 at 03:03
ok idea but not desirable...don't like the fade idea much either...

danielsouza wrote on the 6 Apr 09 at 03:01
openSUSE 11.0 already has the Solution #2 implemented, instead of writing new code, we can copy their implementation.

glococo wrote on the 6 Apr 09 at 15:10
-1, dont like this idea.

If you have 60seconds to shutdown, why you need a black screen in background ?
You have 60 seconds to close whatever you have. Why change to black ?

Or maybe, change to black background but do not give 60seconds, shutdown inmediatly.

B.rgs!

Thelasko wrote on the 6 Apr 09 at 18:59
Hmm, where have I seen this before? Oh yeah, Windows! I really don't care one way or the other on this one. I honestly don't understand why we need the 60 second countdown in the first place.

andrewm wrote on the 7 Apr 09 at 13:22
@Thelasko

I think the idea is that some users just click the "shutdown" or "logout" icon then walk away and don't bother to confirm the action. Giving a countdown gives the user a chance to correct a mistake while still conducting their intended action if they're gone.

Users are not ment to conduct work or save during the countdown period, they're ment to either click the action or cancel button, which the darkening effect will help accomplish.

rolando wrote on the 7 Apr 09 at 19:06
I Likes the firts Idea, but whitout the Metacity window frame.

drinkypoo wrote on the 8 Apr 09 at 17:58
Compiz ALREADY DOES THIS. Please USE GOOGLE before creating your ideas! On Intrepid, which is where I am doing it already, install simple-ccsm, then run it and find the "Login/Logout" plugin (easy since the prefs dialog has a filter.) My "Login Window match" setting is "(class=X-session-manager & title=Shut Down the Computer )" which works for GNOME. Unfortunately GNOME will not allow you to present a single dialog with shutdown AND logout options, what retards. If you specify the options together they say they conflict. I'm not sure how they conflict, but that's the story.

deriamis wrote on the 8 Apr 09 at 19:59
Yes, Compiz does this, but how do we deal with users who forget to confirm the action? Or what about the people who are fortunate enough to be using Edubuntu in a library and the library needs to tell people they are closing? There is a reason to investigate how we help people save their work before the computer shuts down - or to prevent their session from being hijacked.

tiede wrote on the 9 Apr 09 at 18:35
Also, let's not forget that not all users have Compiz.
Compiz is not always enabled and therefore, such an important reminder should not be relegated to it as of now.
In the near future, when 90% of computers will be able to run it, I will agree with drinkypoo... But as of now, I say we need to fade out in some other manner than with compiz.

olskar wrote on the 15 Apr 09 at 23:39
The point of this would be to get the user focus on the dialog? And why would the user want that? I'm sorry but I think the whole dialog is extremely pointless...



Why not adding that to the emptytrashoption too? Or countdowntimers every time someone deletes a file? I mean, then we have 60 seconds to stop it if we realize we made a mistake deleting the file! Lovely!

enosis wrote on the 16 Apr 09 at 11:42
"I'm sorry but I think the whole dialog is extremely pointless... "

amafernandes wrote on the 19 Apr 09 at 20:22
Sorry, but didn't Hardy had that function, not with the 60s timer, e upgraded yesterday to Intrepid (i now, i was late, but e had a bad experience when i upgraded to hardy, so now i wait a couple of months), and i like it all, with the exception of the logout/shutdown sistem.

euxneks wrote on the 22 Apr 09 at 18:42
For Solution #1 I think adding a blur would help out quite a bit too :)

arje wrote on the 24 Apr 09 at 13:01
I personally absolutely disagree with stuff like this. It really will not give any usability, use system ressources for nothing and the fade effect will most likely stutter, especially on big screens. I'm a fan of shadows under windows myself but anything animated for no reason is pointless and a step away from a good compromise of aesthetically pleasing design and usability.

AndrewLuecke wrote on the 25 Apr 09 at 01:36
Actually, this is where you are wrong arje. I know, I spent hours sitting at Apple usability sessions and such.

This will draw focus directly to the shutdown prompt and seems to be a good way. It becomes immediately obvious what to do, which is good (its about constraining the user so that it becomes clear what to do immediately.

Furthermore, have things gotten so rediculous in Linux land that people are concerned about resources used during shutdown.

All I have to say is WTF. It seems what the Linux audience wants is for Linux usability and design to appear to be something designed a parallel reality where classic design mistakes are the norm.

If Ubuntu don't hold a session on gui design and usability to enlighten people as to what makes a good interface and why, I think things will get further out of whack.

drinkypoo wrote on the 30 Apr 09 at 15:11
I don't think it's a big deal for antique computers that can't run compiz (even netbooks often have an intel GPU with T&L) to not be able to do this. Compiz does it already and it's enabled by default, just enable the effect by default.

If you want to talk about problems with Ubuntu logout, talk about the pathetic fact that gnome-session-save (or was it -save-session?) won't allow you to have a single dialog with log out and shut down options. It actually has an error message which says they are contradictory. I hate it when logic and English collide.


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