Auto Source Enabled Reminder

brian1950 · Post by **brian1950** » 01 May 2009 10:51

A simple request, really, if it's not been suggested before...

Please, a nice BIG, flashing Auto Source Enabled reminder in RED prominently displayed in the bottom right corner.

It would do wonders for my blood pressure!

Thank you.

Brian

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Post by **NickWalker** » 01 May 2009 11:15

I'd second that, its a really good idea.

JonAxtell · Post by **JonAxtell** » 01 May 2009 11:20

Agree too that the reminder needs to be more prominent, though I would vote for a non-flashing indicator and placed where you eye normally focuses, ie. on the property window somewhere. An alternative would be to have the background colour change in some way when auto-source is on.

RalfofAmber · Post by **RalfofAmber** » 01 May 2009 12:02

Or maybe the cursor or just the background colour / font of boxes where you enter details being auto-sourced?

MarkB · Post by **MarkB** » 01 May 2009 19:02

Absolutely, great idea!
The undo feature in v4 should make it easier, I hope, to remove the citations I didn't intend making.

Mark

Post by **NickWalker** » 01 May 2009 19:16

The undo feature in v4 should make it easier, I hope, to remove the citations I didn't intend making.

I'm not sure it would. You could add a whole load of facts to various individuals not realising that Auto Source is still enabled and you would have to remove those citations individually. If you used Undo it would remove the facts too.

MarkB · Post by **MarkB** » 02 May 2009 18:07

True, I hadn't thought it through.

Mark

ChrisBowyer · Post by **ChrisBowyer** » 03 May 2009 07:41

I'm sure I've said it before somewhere, but I would find it really helpful if it reminded you which source you're auto-citing. I confess it hadn't occurred to me before, but the natural place for this is on the sources pane of the property box rather than the bottom of the main window. Good idea Jon.

And maybe something there to click to change it rather than having to go back to the menu.

But please, no flashing, red, etc.

IMHO it's more useful to be warned that you're not citing anything, rather than that you are. All information has some kind of source after all. My rule of thumb is never to add anything without recording where it comes from.

brian1950 · Post by **brian1950** » 03 May 2009 11:44

Many thanks for the support!

Jon's suggestion of a colour change in the Property window when Auto Source is enabled is one I would be very happy to endorse.

Basically, I want to know, clearly and unambiguously, that Auto Source is engaged, so that when I am drawn away from the program to attend to other things and return it after some time, I don't blithely carry on entering data I don't want linked to a source because I've overlooked the present piddling reminder.

My request for a 'BIG, flashing Auto Source Enabled reminder in RED' was one born of frustration: on Friday, for the umpteenth time since starting to use FH in January, I had just realised I had made cititions I didn't want and would have to spend time unpicking. Whatever time I had saved with Auto Source enabled had been wasted. Grr...

Hands up those who have done the same. Exactly. So let's get this issue nailed. I rest my case!

Brian

ChrisBowyer · Post by **ChrisBowyer** » 04 May 2009 06:11

Yes, I've done that too, but more often not cited when I meant too, and more often again, cited the previous source having forgotten to change it.

JonAxtell · Post by **JonAxtell** » 04 May 2009 12:17

The fact that the auto-source indicator is easily missed is due to FH failing one of the basic UI design guidelines. According to Jeff Johnson's book 'GUI Bloopers - Don'ts and Do's for Software Developers and Web Designers' this is blooper #47 Easily Missed Information. He says that developers often assume that so long as they place an indicator somewhere on the screen then the user will see it. This reflects a lack of knowledge about how people perceive and think. Humans always miss information, especially if it's not changing or not in the field of view (which is extremely small, about an inch or two diameter at 3').

ChrisBowyer · Post by **ChrisBowyer** » 05 May 2009 05:36

... and the way I usually work, is often covered by the properties box.

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