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UX Myths

48 points by subbu 16y ago

donw 16y ago
Here's a UX Myth: Disabling back-button keyboard shortcuts won't piss people off and cause them to leave your site. (Using Safari 5.0 on OSX 10.6.4)
- Groxx 16y ago
  Same. For all irked by this, try the root site: http://uxmyths.com/ http://uxmyths.com/ The offending party is UXBooth, which adds nothing of value. Can someone edit the link to point to uxmyths.com instead?
- viraptor 16y ago
  From the same department: UX Myth It doesn't annoy users when you require JS just to correctly display a static page with no fireworks. (big white box takes >50% of height on FF)
kunley 16y ago
I subconsciously read UX as Unix.. (oh thank you HP-UX for past years with ye ;)
DanielBMarkham 16y ago
For some reason I really like this list format, and I am going to steal it.
bad_user 16y ago
Myth #8 about stock-photos, and Myth #1 about people not reading on the web ... these are things I knew since forever. But when working as a consultant, good luck trying to explain to customers that.
masklinn 16y ago
> Myth #18: Flash is evil Flash steals my focus and my keyboard shortcuts. Flash is evil.
- ciupicri 16y ago
  And there's no 64 bit Linux version nor one for iPhone&iPad.
  - fragmede 16y ago
    http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=290785 http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=290785 (nswrapper) and http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-install-flash-on-your-ipad-complete-how-to-guide/ http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-install-flash-on-your-ipad-... (frash) (not that flash isn't evil...)
    - ciupicri 16y ago
      NB: although the browser is 64 bit, the Flash plugin is still 32 bit.
  - masklinn 16y ago
    That's a feature (there is no 64 bit flash version period, whatever the OS is. On Windows and OSX this means that you either use a 32b browser or you use a browser opening the Flash plugin in a separate browser e.g. Safari 4, on Linux I believe you can also go through nspluginwrapper)
extension 16y ago
Myth: power and usability are opposites All users want power and control. If the UI is too confusing for the user, they are powerless. If the UI is too crippled to do what the user needs to do, they are powerless. An intersection must be found, where power emerges from simplicity.
- a-priori 16y ago
  Power by itself is useless unless the user feels powerful using the software. It is that feeling that drives the user to want to learn more. For them to get that feeling, the software has to be usable. It has to permit exploration (i.e, don't punish them for trying stuff) and give good, immediate feedback about what it is doing. The feedback allows them to build a mental model of the program.

48 points by subbu 16y ago

donw 16y ago

Here's a UX Myth: Disabling back-button keyboard shortcuts won't piss people off and cause them to leave your site. (Using Safari 5.0 on OSX 10.6.4)

Groxx 16y ago
Same. For all irked by this, try the root site: http://uxmyths.com/ http://uxmyths.com/ The offending party is UXBooth, which adds nothing of value. Can someone edit the link to point to uxmyths.com instead?
viraptor 16y ago
From the same department: UX Myth It doesn't annoy users when you require JS just to correctly display a static page with no fireworks. (big white box takes >50% of height on FF)

kunley 16y ago

I subconsciously read UX as Unix.. (oh thank you HP-UX for past years with ye ;)

DanielBMarkham 16y ago

For some reason I really like this list format, and I am going to steal it.

bad_user 16y ago

Myth #8 about stock-photos, and Myth #1 about people not reading on the web ... these are things I knew since forever. But when working as a consultant, good luck trying to explain to customers that.

masklinn 16y ago

> Myth #18: Flash is evil Flash steals my focus and my keyboard shortcuts. Flash is evil.

ciupicri 16y ago
And there's no 64 bit Linux version nor one for iPhone&iPad.
- fragmede 16y ago
  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=290785 http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=290785 (nswrapper) and http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-install-flash-on-your-ipad-complete-how-to-guide/ http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-install-flash-on-your-ipad-... (frash) (not that flash isn't evil...)
  - ciupicri 16y ago
    NB: although the browser is 64 bit, the Flash plugin is still 32 bit.
- masklinn 16y ago
  That's a feature (there is no 64 bit flash version period, whatever the OS is. On Windows and OSX this means that you either use a 32b browser or you use a browser opening the Flash plugin in a separate browser e.g. Safari 4, on Linux I believe you can also go through nspluginwrapper)

extension 16y ago

Myth: power and usability are opposites All users want power and control. If the UI is too confusing for the user, they are powerless. If the UI is too crippled to do what the user needs to do, they are powerless. An intersection must be found, where power emerges from simplicity.

a-priori 16y ago
Power by itself is useless unless the user feels powerful using the software. It is that feeling that drives the user to want to learn more. For them to get that feeling, the software has to be usable. It has to permit exploration (i.e, don't punish them for trying stuff) and give good, immediate feedback about what it is doing. The feedback allows them to build a mental model of the program.