Gervase Markham wrote:
>
> > Mozilla is claiming to do everything else in the development better
> > than anyone else.
>
> Mozilla 1.0 should allow external mailers, view source editors, HTML
> editors and so on - so it's not, really.
Oh yeah? Where's the pref for swapping in my layout engine of choice,
instead of forcing me to use Gecko?
(Note to the humor-impaired: there should NOT be a pref for that. I
repeat, there should NOT be a pref for that.)
> > Or rather aiming to make it better than everything else.
> > Mozilla won't be better than any other browser or mailer html-editor
> > etc if users don't know how to use it.
>
> Indeed. Mozilla's default UI should be the best we can produce for the
> majority of people - but what about the visually impaired? Those with
> the use of only one hand? The colourblind? All of these people need
> different UIs.
>...
No they don't.
They require the UI to respect their OS choices for fonts and colors;
but that doesn't require a separate skin, and it improves usability for everybody.
They require icons which use color and tone redundantly; but that
doesn't require a separate skin, and it also improves usability for everybody.
They require an option to turn off animations, for those who have
epilepsy or ADD; but that doesn't require a separate skin, and it
improves usability for everybody.
They require keyboard shortcuts which are easy to use with one hand; but
that doesn't require a separate skin, and it improves usability for everybody.
Almost without exception, anything done to the UI to improve
accessibility for disabled people will also improve the UI for
fully-able people. It's called `universal design'
<http://microsoft.com/presspass/features/2000/jun00/06-16accessibility.asp>.
--
Matthew `mpt' Thomas, Mozilla user interface QA
