Re: [9fans] interesting(?) widgets idea

[Jack Norton <jack@0x6a.com>]

dexen deVries wrote:

> if the user hovers mouse over widget area, it would be understood as intention to activate widgets, triggering their visibility.
>
>...
> in other words, all the widgets (menus included) of an app turned into margins when mouse's /not/ over those widgets.
>
>

eeek!
Am I the only one who doesn't like this idea?  I cannot stand programs
that change their visual representation based upon where the mouse is,
or what the keyboard meta keys are up to, etc...
Microsoft Office comes to mind (and then the hover-only menus fade in
and out like it's 1999).  Stupid goddamn flash/js menus on websites that
expand when you hover over them.... then break when you move the mouse
to the menu item you'd like (rinse and repeat...).
I like acme because it doesn't change its appearance no matter where I
put my mouse, nor does it have menus that appear only when I bark at it.
  The rio menus are unfortunate, but in that context it is the best it
could be I think.  I do admit though, as was mentioned earlier, rio's
'memory' of what I last selected in its menus as the next default is
very unfortunate.  I've gotten used to that though.

The worst... and I mean worst case of hover-only features is the stupid
system tray clock in windows xp.  I never now when it will be gracious
enough to give me that little pop-up that tells me the full date/time.
Or in second place, that little pop-up in windows explorer that gives me
a (bad) summary of folder contents/size.  It's a crap shoot.  Hover-only
stuff is a disease.

-Jack