web4lib@library.berkeley.edu

[Michael Watson]

>I hesitate to even ask this question (fearing that Friday-zaniness has
>overtaken me), but here goes:  has anyone else been feeling overrun with
>users who feel they must double-click every HTML link (or "Back" button,
>etc.) they come across?

	God, yes! For us, the big problem is people doubleclicking
	Netscape's PRINT button. The first click issues a print
	command, and the print requester starts to come up...and
	then the second click hides the print requester behind 
	the web browser. Netscape then sits waiting for them to
	click "OK" on a print requester which they've effectively
	hidden behind their browser.

>It's an easy enough problem for us to correct for them, but it gets
>repetitious and annoying at times.  My question is perhaps a rhetorical
>one, but what has made people of all walks into determined over-clickers?
>Is it just that enough computer instructors/saavy friends/librarians/etc.
>have hammered into them the idea that you have to double-click to start
>programs and that you can double-click as a shortcut for closing windows
>and choosing files?

	I think you've hit the nail on the head. The rule of
	thumb I try to communicate--even though I know there are
	lots and lots of exceptions--is that they should use
	double-clicks to START programs, but SINGLE clicks to
	issue commands to programs that are already running.

>With Windows95 and the magic Start button, I find myself double-clicking
>less.  I wonder if the replacement of older OS' will stop this clicking
>frenzy.  

	What worries me is that from what little I've seen of the
	Windows 98/IE4 integrated interface, it seems to use 
	use single clicks for almost everything. I can see the 
	potential for a lot of frustration until everybody's 
	marched up the learning curve...


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* Michael Watson                   *
* mwatso at gopher1.library.lsumc.edu *
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