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... these code screen caps are inserted into presentations not demos?? As far as I know no audience member expects to walk up to the projector screen and minimi

... these code screen caps are inserted into presentations not demos?? As far as I know no audience member expects to walk up to the projector screen and minimize a window. The point is to prime someone's perception for how they should interpret something. Good try being completely literal though. edit: i can't believe i have to explain this. the window serves exactly the same purpose as offsetting code blocks in text in a different font, in a different color, with a different background: it's to indicate that there's something meta-semantically distinct about this block of text from other blocks of text. to contextualize the code even moreso accomplishes the same goal - implicitly communicating distinction.

detaro 6y ago
"Indicating something is distinct about this block of text" is helpful design, but not really an affordance. Affordances are about actions.
matheusmoreira 6y ago
> The point is to prime someone's perception for how they should interpret something. And what perception is that? The macOS semaphore controls make the square look like a macOS window. Not all windows are text editors: people still have to look at the content of the window in order to understand it. Not all text editing is source code editing: people still have to read the text in order to realize it's source code. The Carbon twitter contains images of error logs and ASCII art. Monospaced typefaces and syntax highlighting of the text are the design features that truly denote source code. A container with contrasting background color distinguishes the source code from the other elements on the page or slide. > the window serves exactly the same purpose as offsetting code blocks in text in a different font, in a different color, with a different background: it's to indicate that there's something meta-semantically distinct about this block of text from other blocks of text. They don't have the same purpose. The information conveyed by all of those elements are completely different. Monospaced, syntax highlighted text looks like source code to any programmer. Placing that text inside a container allows it to be quickly distinguished from the surrounding prose. Adding macOS controls to this design makes it look like source code that's being edited in macOS. Why convey those additional bits of information? Does the code not work outside of macOS? Are users of other systems not part of the target audience? Is the author subtly signaling their use of macOS to other macOS users in the audience?

detaro 6y ago

"Indicating something is distinct about this block of text" is helpful design, but not really an affordance. Affordances are about actions.

matheusmoreira 6y ago

> The point is to prime someone's perception for how they should interpret something. And what perception is that? The macOS semaphore controls make the square look like a macOS window. Not all windows are text editors: people still have to look at the content of the window in order to understand it. Not all text editing is source code editing: people still have to read the text in order to realize it's source code. The Carbon twitter contains images of error logs and ASCII art. Monospaced typefaces and syntax highlighting of the text are the design features that truly denote source code. A container with contrasting background color distinguishes the source code from the other elements on the page or slide. > the window serves exactly the same purpose as offsetting code blocks in text in a different font, in a different color, with a different background: it's to indicate that there's something meta-semantically distinct about this block of text from other blocks of text. They don't have the same purpose. The information conveyed by all of those elements are completely different. Monospaced, syntax highlighted text looks like source code to any programmer. Placing that text inside a container allows it to be quickly distinguished from the surrounding prose. Adding macOS controls to this design makes it look like source code that's being edited in macOS. Why convey those additional bits of information? Does the code not work outside of macOS? Are users of other systems not part of the target audience? Is the author subtly signaling their use of macOS to other macOS users in the audience?