Comments on: A possible solution to the stolen-focus problem http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2007-12-05/a-possible-solution-to-the-stolen-focus-problem The personal weblog of Peter Hosey. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:31:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Paul Kim http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2007-12-05/a-possible-solution-to-the-stolen-focus-problem/comment-page-1#comment-147132 Paul Kim Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:09:16 +0000 http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2007-12-05/a-possible-solution-to-the-stolen-focus-problem#comment-147132 I suggested something like this for Sparkle/Sparkle+. Basically, some people were annoyed by an update popping up an alert at an inopportune time. Since, in this case, the alert was not urgent, my suggestion was to check the user's idle time and only pop it up after some idle time. It was never implemented but the idea is still there. I suggested something like this for Sparkle/Sparkle+. Basically, some people were annoyed by an update popping up an alert at an inopportune time. Since, in this case, the alert was not urgent, my suggestion was to check the user's idle time and only pop it up after some idle time. It was never implemented but the idea is still there.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2007-12-05/a-possible-solution-to-the-stolen-focus-problem/comment-page-1#comment-147080 Anonymous Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:05:55 +0000 http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2007-12-05/a-possible-solution-to-the-stolen-focus-problem#comment-147080 Let the window come up, but pass key events down to where they came until an unused keystroke is seen; say Escape, or Ctrl-Enter. Let the window come up, but pass key events down to where they came until an unused keystroke is seen; say Escape, or Ctrl-Enter.

]]> By: Alan http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2007-12-05/a-possible-solution-to-the-stolen-focus-problem/comment-page-1#comment-146877 Alan Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:48:34 +0000 http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2007-12-05/a-possible-solution-to-the-stolen-focus-problem#comment-146877 For example. Bah. For example.

Bah.

]]> By: Alan http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2007-12-05/a-possible-solution-to-the-stolen-focus-problem/comment-page-1#comment-146875 Alan Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:47:22 +0000 http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2007-12-05/a-possible-solution-to-the-stolen-focus-problem#comment-146875 Surely the point of a dialog popping up is that immediate (ish) attention is required? It may be annoying, for example, to have your dialog box wait for you to stop typing before popping up and telling you that you have been disconnected, for example. Perhaps you could solve this (and alleviate Kuklau's concern about an unavoidable sound beep) by flashing a non-obtrusive yet easy to see icon on screen, telling the user that something is wrong, similar in style to growl? That would allow a user to continue typing if they wish/do not see the problem, and it would notify an alert user that they might want to stop and let the dialog manifest itself. Surely the point of a dialog popping up is that immediate (ish) attention is required? It may be annoying, for example, to have your dialog box wait for you to stop typing before popping up and telling you that you have been disconnected, for example.

Perhaps you could solve this (and alleviate Kuklau's concern about an unavoidable sound beep) by flashing a non-obtrusive yet easy to see icon on screen, telling the user that something is wrong, similar in style to growl? That would allow a user to continue typing if they wish/do not see the problem, and it would notify an alert user that they might want to stop and let the dialog manifest itself.

]]> By: Sören Kuklau http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2007-12-05/a-possible-solution-to-the-stolen-focus-problem/comment-page-1#comment-146872 Sören Kuklau Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:27:17 +0000 http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2007-12-05/a-possible-solution-to-the-stolen-focus-problem#comment-146872 The problem with that proposal (no, I don't know of an existing interpretation, but I imagine it would be a relatively simple category) is that it assumes the user looks at the screen while typing. 'Proficient typists' like us indeed tend to do that; the average user, I assure you, does not. I can think of many people who open a browser window and assume (without checking) that they can type in a URL; if a dialog comes up or the location bar isn't in focus for whatever other reason, they will easily have typed dozens of characters for no reason, only to look up at the screen and cringe (or, worse, wonder WTF just happened and WhereTF their typing went). Waiting for several seconds of no keypresses would help <em>if</em> the user happens to look up, but they might be too preoccupied looking at the keyboard (or elsewhere). So, I don't think a little "get the user's attention that something else has been happening while he was busy typing ahead" sound beep is avoidable in this case. The problem with that proposal (no, I don't know of an existing interpretation, but I imagine it would be a relatively simple category) is that it assumes the user looks at the screen while typing. 'Proficient typists' like us indeed tend to do that; the average user, I assure you, does not. I can think of many people who open a browser window and assume (without checking) that they can type in a URL; if a dialog comes up or the location bar isn't in focus for whatever other reason, they will easily have typed dozens of characters for no reason, only to look up at the screen and cringe (or, worse, wonder WTF just happened and WhereTF their typing went). Waiting for several seconds of no keypresses would help if the user happens to look up, but they might be too preoccupied looking at the keyboard (or elsewhere).

So, I don't think a little "get the user's attention that something else has been happening while he was busy typing ahead" sound beep is avoidable in this case.

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