Use check-box instead of Question button

I would assume the way this could work is that when you check the Question box it would write "QUESTION: " into the text box, so when the user continues to type the question has the correct formatting.

This is interesting idea but it raises the following issues:
1. What if user types the text and at the end of typing he/she checks check-box. Will he/she noticed the prefix in the input box?
2. If question prefix is added and user deletes part of the QUESTION text e.g. "QUE". Should program take care of deleting the rest of the remaining text?

What ever the solution will be, the best way IMHO is to EXPLAIN to users what will be happening when check-box is checked. I suggest to do something like: when user points mouse over "check-box" and waits for two seconds, there is some text displayed to explain what will happen, something like: "Selecting Question check-box will add QUESTION prefix to the message. Prefix means that you would like to have an answer from lecturer instead of other users participating in session debate."
P.S. I am not an English native speaker, so correct mistakes if any.

On Sun, 2011-06-05 at 18:45 +0000, grofaty wrote:
> This is interesting idea but it raises the following issues:
> 1. What if user types the text and at the end of typing he/she checks
> check-box. Will he/she noticed the prefix in the input box?
> 2. If question prefix is added and user deletes part of the QUESTION
> text e.g. "QUE". Should program take care of deleting the rest of the
> remaining text?
>
> What ever the solution will be, the best way IMHO is to EXPLAIN to
> users what will be happening when check-box is checked. I suggest to
> do something like: when user points mouse over "check-box" and waits
> for two seconds, there is some text displayed to explain what will
> happen, something like: "Selecting Question check-box will add
> QUESTION prefix to the message. Prefix means that you would like to
> have an answer from lecturer instead of other users participating in
> session debate."
> P.S. I am not an English native speaker, so correct mistakes if any.

Good points. So maybe the checkbox doesn't prefix the text inside the
text box, but prefixes QUESTION when the text is submitted.

So as an example, in the text box I type "Why is Lernid so awesome?" and
check the Question checkbox, and when I press enter to submit the text
"QUESTION: Why is Lernid so awesome?" is send to the channel.

 Jono

--
Jono Bacon
Ubuntu Community Manager
jono(at)ubuntu(dot)com
www.ubuntu.com : www.jonobacon.org
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As a goal, would it make sense to move the check box back to the left like so:

 _
|_| Question: | ______________|

and have "Question:" highlighted when the checkbox is clicked (so a user's trial click will reassure the user about what's going to happen), with a mouse-over message like grofaty suggested (assuming I can figure out how to do these things)? Prefix with "Question:" on submission as above.

I'm suggesting redundant measures since some people won't think to hover their mouse, but it will be better if they do.

In this case moving Question check-box to the left is excellent idea.

It looks like we have fallen into "technical trap". Why? "Question button issue" has multiple problems! It is not just a issue button vs. check-box, this is easy part. Much bigger problem is: word "Question" is confusing and does not tell anything useful to user what is gonna happen. That is why there is also a need for "pop-up info on mouse over". User could also be confused: What does "Question" stands for? If I just want to write my opinion (not asking a question), should I uncheck the question check-box?

The "Question" text is only technical term (just like 'eth0' for 'Wired network') to tell a program a distinctive conditional to notify lecture about a question asked (message posted) to him/her.

What we should do is tell user what this option does and this should be done without 'mouser over' text info.
I see three options (text on check-box instead of 'Question' text):
1. Tell what this option does: "Send question to Classrom."
2. What is the purpose of this action: "Notify lecturer about this message."
3. Both above options together: "Notify lecturer by sending message to Classrom."

I have made an attachment.
Note: I have also added "Message" label to describe what input box is all about.

We may be in a "technical trap", but I think it will be OK. The issue of what "Question:" is for is addressed in the topics set in the classroom and chatroom, so there is context set for it for the user. It's also a UI item in itself since some people are using IRC clients.

There is a space problem--some people will want to reduce the size of the chat area in order to see more of the web and slide windows, and will also reduce the size of the chatroom to get more width for the classroom text. For some the chatroom will be the least important of the four widgets and it is therefore important to conserve space there.

Thanks again, grofaty, for both reporting this and for working on this with us. I'm proceeding with it and we can revisit it if it doesn't work out.

My thinking is probably too deep into casual end-user GUI thinking and having problems they are facing and I am forgetting that Lernid application is probably not intended for casual users, but for users that know something about computers and can work quite nice if all of the elements of GUI are not extremely simplified. This was only an idea, I totally agree you should have a final decision.

I submitted https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/649296.
I suggest changing the ">" button to a "send" button.

Isn't this bug already fixed in the current trunk version?

I think grofaty is correct that the text is too light when the
checkmark is not clicked and may confuse the user into thinking that
the checkbox is disabled, so reverted the status of this bug report.

I can't see any benefit of adding bold/grayed out effect to checkbox. This effect is non-standard and not expected by end-user and also does not add any additional info to user, but in the other hand can add confusion of 'grayed out' effect. I suggest to remove bold/grayed out effect and just use default check-boxes.