Re: Version numbers and an update from the UX team

My bloviated meandering follows what Ron Hunter graced us with on 
8/22/2011 12:32 PM:
> On 8/22/2011 1:50 PM, Sailfish wrote:

[snip /]

>> With that being said, I'm ambivalent on whether it should still remain
>> in the About screen since I'm a proponent of it being better placed in
>> the about:support screen.
>>
> 
> Just a few minutes ago, a user asked about how to leave feedback since 
> mozilla.feedback is no longer available.  My first question was what 
> version of FF was he using, because this feature has changed over the 
> past few versions, and I needed to know in order to tell him where to 
> find the feedback feature.  Now, if we could ASSUME that every user 
> updates every time an update is released, this wouldn't be a problem, 
> BUT THEY DON'T.  So, if he comes back and says he can't find the version 
> number because it is no longer in the About dialog (if this change is 
> made), then I have wasted some time, and further have to explain how to 
> find the version number, then I can know where to tell him to look for 
> the feature he needs.
> 
Just as I'm sure you wasted time explaining how a new user could get to 
their Help>About Firefox selection or even how to restore the menubar. 
The point being is that UIs change (ref: Microsoft Office ribbons .vs 
menubar) and initially folks are disconcerted about it (in the case of 
ribbons, mucho disconcerted about it) but afterwards, they eventually 
find out how to use the new system and, if the developers were right in 
their decision to change it, the users not only accept but prefer the 
new system (as I have with ribbons, actually).

But, as I said, it doesn't matter to me if they put the version number 
back in About Firefox but I still hold that the hyper-uproar of the move 
is way too much drama to be taken too seriously but, that's just me.

-- 
Sailfish - Netscape Champion
Netscape/Mozilla Tips: http://www.ufaq.org/ , http://ilias.ca/
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