What is the problem with SE5?

Fyron · #1 January 25th, 2007, 04:00 AM

Azselendor said:
Forced Simplification would force it to operate via drag and drop...

Except that drag and drop is the same number of operations. Mouse down, move, mouse up, versus: Mouse click, move, mouse click. I'm not sure how that makes the interface any simpler to use?

Though really, drag and drop is a lot more operations overall, because in the current system you can do simple shift-clicks to add multiple copies of the same component without moving back to the component list and reselecting it. Double-click for auto placement beats both though.

Azselendor · #2 January 25th, 2007, 04:07 AM

most people are used to drag and drop as a natural function of computer usage. Forced Simplification forces us to use simplest and most natural means of accomplishing a task.

Fyron · #3 January 25th, 2007, 05:25 AM

I just don't see how it would provide any improvement what-so-ever. There is a visual indicator of what is happening when you click on a component, just as you see in a normal drag and drop. It might take a split second to retry with just a click if you first try a drag and drop, but that is all.

If the current system was eliminated and replaced with drag and drop, it would slow ship design down tremendously. Drag and drop of one item at a time is extremely tedious. You could potentially keep the shift functionality to be able to add a second (and a twelfth) copy of a component with just clicks on nearby boxes, but that would seem to violate the "forced simplification."

"Forced Simplification" seems a little like buzz word marketing to me... ala synergy.

Uncle_Joe · #4 January 25th, 2007, 05:48 AM

I cant honestly say that drag and drop would make things any easier for me either.

Azselendor · #5 January 25th, 2007, 10:11 AM

Actually Fyron, Forced Simplification isn't a buzzword. It's a term that originates in gaming and pioneered by the MIT BlackJack team.

Suicide Junkie · #6 January 25th, 2007, 10:37 AM

The problem is that Simpler != Easier

And I agree with Fy. Forced Simplification sounds a lot like a buzzword... maybe a larval buzzword.

President_Elect_Shang · #7 January 25th, 2007, 11:27 AM

Buzzword or not I agree with Fyron and SJ. Drag and drop does not mean natural or simple. Point in case click move click; the current system, was the only system at one time. Had you asked then it would have been called the "natural" system. Now we have drag and drop which is replacing click move click. Which is natural? With all due respects to the MIT team they don't study humans so they have no bases to call anything "natural". There is nothing natural about either click or drag. It is a matter of current trend. In this case current trend will detract from functionality. I suppose than the real question we should be asking is "Which is more fun; functionality or current trend"?