Bart,
Your instincts are correct. Here's a post I made on my blog awhile back:
Developers often ask me whether a function should be hidden when not
available, or merely disabled. I gave them the following two rules
in my UI Design First Aid lecture.
When a function is unavailable due to current system state, but may
be enabled for the current user when the state changes, the control
should be disabled.
This provides a visual indication that the function exists, and the
user knows that there is an action they can take to enable it. When
possible, I specify a tooltip that explains why the function is
disabled.
If a function will never be made available to the current user
(barring a change of the user’s access privileges), it should never
be seen by the user.
There is no reason for the user to be exposed to functionality they
cannot use. This only leaves them wondering why they can’t access it.
http://designaday.tumblr.com/post/47558495/back-to-basics-disable-or-hide
Jack L. Moffett
Interaction Designer
inmedius
412.459.0310 x219
http://www.inmedius.com
The public is more familiar with
bad design than good design.
It is, in effect, conditioned
to prefer bad design, because
that is what it lives with.
The new becomes threatening,
the old reassuring.
- Paul Rand
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