5 ms·

Is the author really holding up mIRC as an example of good usability? Aside from the standard window controls, I can't make sense of what a single thing on tha

Is the author really holding up mIRC as an example of good usability? Aside from the standard window controls, I can't make sense of what a single thing on that screen does.

hyperpape 3y ago
In particular, the icons are really bad. I get that modern flat icons can be a little abstract, but they’re at least visually distinct at a glance. Here you have three icons in a row that feature tiny text (11pt? 10pt) text above equally tiny icons. It’s weird, because in the abstract I agree with a lot of the criticisms and principles in the post, but this example is so bad.
- marginalia_nu 3y ago
  On the sort of low DPI monitor the interface was designed for, 10pt text is quite legible. Heck, even 8pt text is legible.
- pseudalopex 3y ago
  > I get that modern flat icons can be a little abstract, but they’re at least visually distinct at a glance. They are not.
appplication 3y ago
This sort of reminds me of the grumps who complain that the masses haven’t embraced Vim, RSS feeds, arch linux, fediverse, etc. Like it’s fine that you like them, but I’m surprised you’re surprised other people don’t quite get the appeal.
- myaccountonhn 3y ago
  As someone who uses all those techs, what makes me more sad is when I can’t continue to use this tech because some other company force me to use their shitty software that isn’t interoperable in any way and I am forced to use it because of work/friends. However, I am aware enough to understand why others don’t get the appeal. At least with email I can pick my client and they can pick theirs which is more “user friendly”. Slack etc forces me to use workflows I hate.
  - esafak 3y ago
    That's what standards are for. It makes sense for open source projects but not necessarily for commercial ones, especially if they are successful.
    - OkayPhysicist 3y ago
      Which is why they can, and should, be legally mandated. The EU has taken appropriate measures in the hardware space, maybe next we take it to the digital realm.
cwillu 3y ago
“The mIRC interface was in no way perfect” The examples taken from mIRC are almost exactly the standard window/document controls that are missing from slack and discord.
- comex 3y ago
  The toolbar buttons weren't standard controls. And many of them don't seem like actions that would be taken very frequently, so they probably didn't really need to be in the toolbar. On the other hand, the use of a toolbar, in itself, was a standard. And so was filling up toolbars with as many icons as would fit, because why not.

Is the author really holding up mIRC as an example of good usability? Aside from the standard window controls, I can't make sense of what a single thing on that screen does.

hyperpape 3y ago

In particular, the icons are really bad. I get that modern flat icons can be a little abstract, but they’re at least visually distinct at a glance. Here you have three icons in a row that feature tiny text (11pt? 10pt) text above equally tiny icons. It’s weird, because in the abstract I agree with a lot of the criticisms and principles in the post, but this example is so bad.

marginalia_nu 3y ago
On the sort of low DPI monitor the interface was designed for, 10pt text is quite legible. Heck, even 8pt text is legible.
pseudalopex 3y ago
> I get that modern flat icons can be a little abstract, but they’re at least visually distinct at a glance. They are not.

appplication 3y ago

This sort of reminds me of the grumps who complain that the masses haven’t embraced Vim, RSS feeds, arch linux, fediverse, etc. Like it’s fine that you like them, but I’m surprised you’re surprised other people don’t quite get the appeal.

myaccountonhn 3y ago
As someone who uses all those techs, what makes me more sad is when I can’t continue to use this tech because some other company force me to use their shitty software that isn’t interoperable in any way and I am forced to use it because of work/friends. However, I am aware enough to understand why others don’t get the appeal. At least with email I can pick my client and they can pick theirs which is more “user friendly”. Slack etc forces me to use workflows I hate.
- esafak 3y ago
  That's what standards are for. It makes sense for open source projects but not necessarily for commercial ones, especially if they are successful.
  - OkayPhysicist 3y ago
    Which is why they can, and should, be legally mandated. The EU has taken appropriate measures in the hardware space, maybe next we take it to the digital realm.

cwillu 3y ago

“The mIRC interface was in no way perfect” The examples taken from mIRC are almost exactly the standard window/document controls that are missing from slack and discord.

comex 3y ago
The toolbar buttons weren't standard controls. And many of them don't seem like actions that would be taken very frequently, so they probably didn't really need to be in the toolbar. On the other hand, the use of a toolbar, in itself, was a standard. And so was filling up toolbars with as many icons as would fit, because why not.