anecdotal report on discoverability of gnome screen "shield"

[Matthew Miller]

This just came in on the Fedora users list.


----- Forwarded message from Oliver Ruebenacker <curoli(a)gmail.com&gt; -----

>  Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 16:01:44 -0400
>  From: Oliver Ruebenacker <curoli(a)gmail.com&gt;
>  To: Community support for Fedora users <users(a)lists.fedoraproject.org&gt;
>  Subject: F19 fresh install, updated, now unavailable for an hour
>  
>       Hello,
>  
>    I just did a fresh install of F19 on my Lenovo Thinkpad T430, followed by
>  applying all 200+ updates and a restart. The restart led to a screen where
>  I have time and date displayed in the center of the screen, with an arrow
>  animation appearing below it every three seconds or so. There is a bar on
>  top with volume control and battery indicator. Mouse pointer is alive, and
>  time is being updated. There is nothing else except the wallpaper.
>  
>    It has been like that for an hour.
>  
>    Should I give it more time? Or hit the power button? Or something else?
>  
>    Thanks!
>  
>       Take care
>       Oliver 
>  -- 
>  users mailing list
>  users(a)lists.fedoraproject.org
>  To unsubscribe or change subscription options:
>  https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/users
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----- End forwarded message -----

-- 
Matthew Miller  ☁☁☁  Fedora Cloud Architect  ☁☁☁  <mattdm(a)fedoraproject.org&gt;

[Kalvin Lee]

Hello,

What you've described is the pre-lock screen, sort of (for want of a 
better name - maybe somebody should correct me).

You'll want to click and drag the screen upwards. The screen should 
then, tablet-like, slide up to reveal a login prompt. This caused me 
some confusion too, at first.

Cheers!

On 07/17/2013 01:26 PM, Matthew Miller wrote:
>  This just came in on the Fedora users list.
>
>
>  ----- Forwarded message from Oliver Ruebenacker <curoli(a)gmail.com&gt; -----
>
> > Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 16:01:44 -0400
> > From: Oliver Ruebenacker <curoli(a)gmail.com&gt;
> > To: Community support for Fedora users <users(a)lists.fedoraproject.org&gt;
> > Subject: F19 fresh install, updated, now unavailable for an hour
> >
> >       Hello,
> >
> >    I just did a fresh install of F19 on my Lenovo Thinkpad T430, followed by
> > applying all 200+ updates and a restart. The restart led to a screen where
> > I have time and date displayed in the center of the screen, with an arrow
> > animation appearing below it every three seconds or so. There is a bar on
> > top with volume control and battery indicator. Mouse pointer is alive, and
> > time is being updated. There is nothing else except the wallpaper.
> >
> >    It has been like that for an hour.
> >
> >    Should I give it more time? Or hit the power button? Or something else?
> >
> >    Thanks!
> >
> >       Take care
> >       Oliver
> > -- 
> > users mailing list
> > users(a)lists.fedoraproject.org
> > To unsubscribe or change subscription options:
> > https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/users
> > Guidelines: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Mailing_list_guidelines
> > Have a question? Ask away: http://ask.fedoraproject.org
>
>  ----- End forwarded message -----
>

[Mathieu Bridon]

On Wed, 2013-07-17 at 22:26 -0700, Kalvin Lee wrote:
>  Hello,
>  
>  What you've described is the pre-lock screen, sort of (for want of a 
>  better name - maybe somebody should correct me).
>  
>  You'll want to click and drag the screen upwards. The screen should 
>  then, tablet-like, slide up to reveal a login prompt. This caused me 
>  some confusion too, at first. 
I'm pretty sure Matthew knows all that, and he was merely passing back
some feedback from a user who got confused, as it could be useful for
the desktop developers on this list.


-- 
Mathieu

[Kalvin Lee]

Oh gees. I didn't read the headers carefully. Sorry everybody.

Perhaps this is something to pass on to the Docs mailing list?

On 07/17/2013 10:31 PM, Mathieu Bridon wrote:
>  On Wed, 2013-07-17 at 22:26 -0700, Kalvin Lee wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > What you've described is the pre-lock screen, sort of (for want of a
> > better name - maybe somebody should correct me).
> >
> > You'll want to click and drag the screen upwards. The screen should
> > then, tablet-like, slide up to reveal a login prompt. This caused me
> > some confusion too, at first.
>  I'm pretty sure Matthew knows all that, and he was merely passing back
>  some feedback from a user who got confused, as it could be useful for
>  the desktop developers on this list.
>
>

[Matthew Miller]

On Thu, Jul 18, 2013 at 05:02:04AM -0700, Kalvin Lee wrote:
>  Oh gees. I didn't read the headers carefully. Sorry everybody.
>  Perhaps this is something to pass on to the Docs mailing list? 
I kind of think that if you have to document something like this, it's too
late.

Specific suggestions I have include:

 1. Lift the screen on press of shift or control, the traditional keys for
    clearing a screensaver (I think there's a bugzilla for this)

 2. If someone is moving the mouse around for a while and hasn't figured out
    what those arrows mean, maybe display some text? Or something that looks
    like a clickable button?

-- 
Matthew Miller  ☁☁☁  Fedora Cloud Architect  ☁☁☁  <mattdm(a)fedoraproject.org&gt;

[Marco Scannadinari]

>   1. Lift the screen on press of shift or control, the traditional
> keys
>  for clearing a screensaver (I think there's a bugzilla for this)
>  
>   2. If someone is moving the mouse around for a while and hasn't
>  figured out  what those arrows mean, maybe display some text? Or
>  something that looks  like a clickable button? 
I agree - the lock screen doesnt provide enough hints to the user as to
how to unlock it.
-- 
Marco Scannadinari <marco(a)scannadinari.co.uk&gt;

[Debarshi Ray]

>  I kind of think that if you have to document something like this,
> it's too
>  late.
>  
>  Specific suggestions I have include:
>  
>   1. Lift the screen on press of shift or control, the traditional keys for
>      clearing a screensaver (I think there's a bugzilla for this)
>  
>   2. If someone is moving the mouse around for a while and hasn't figured out
>      what those arrows mean, maybe display some text? Or something that looks
>      like a clickable button? 
I am running gnome-shell-3.9.4 on a mostly F19 system, and what happens is
that when you start typing the curtain is automatically lifted. The same
happens if you press enter.

Cheers,
Debarshi

-- 
Life is like bein' on a mule team.  Unless you're the lead mule, all
the scenery looks about the same.

[Bill Nottingham]

Debarshi Ray (rishi.is(a)lostca.se) said: 
>  > I kind of think that if you have to document something like
> this, it's too
>  > late.
>  > 
>  > Specific suggestions I have include:
>  > 
>  >  1. Lift the screen on press of shift or control, the traditional keys for
>  >     clearing a screensaver (I think there's a bugzilla for this)
>  > 
>  >  2. If someone is moving the mouse around for a while and hasn't figured out
>  >     what those arrows mean, maybe display some text? Or something that looks
>  >     like a clickable button?
>  
>  I am running gnome-shell-3.9.4 on a mostly F19 system, and what happens is
>  that when you start typing the curtain is automatically lifted. The same
>  happens if you press enter. 
I've never had a problem with it. But there is a subset of users who have a
larger motiviation about "being afraid of doing anything wrong". Someone
motivated in that way is not going to hit buttons/keys to see what happens.

Bill

[Matthew Miller]

On Thu, Jul 18, 2013 at 01:23:37PM -0400, Bill Nottingham wrote:
>  I've never had a problem with it. But there is a subset of users
> who have a
>  larger motiviation about "being afraid of doing anything wrong". Someone
>  motivated in that way is not going to hit buttons/keys to see what happens. 
I admit that at first I pounded on the shift key for half a minute the first
time I saw the screen. And that the arrow animation meant nothing to me.



-- 
Matthew Miller  ☁☁☁  Fedora Cloud Architect  ☁☁☁  <mattdm(a)fedoraproject.org&gt;

[Michael Catanzaro]

On Thu, 2013-07-18 at 17:07 +0000, Debarshi Ray wrote:
>  I am running gnome-shell-3.9.4 on a mostly F19 system, and what
> happens is
>  that when you start typing the curtain is automatically lifted. The same
>  happens if you press enter.
>  
>  Cheers,
>  Debarshi 
I think the easiest solution to the issue is to make any keypress lift
the curtain.  Are there any downsides to that?

[Lynn Dixon]

What is the purpose of the curtain anyway? I ask this sincerely, as I have
yet to see any benefit from it.

Why not have just the normal login screen that puts the display to sleep
after X minutes. Then a wiggle of the mouse or key press wakes it up right
to the login screen.  Saves power and needless keystrokes and eliminates am
otherwise useless screen.
On Jul 18, 2013 8:30 PM, "Michael Catanzaro" <mike.catanzaro(a)gmail.com&gt;
wrote:

>  On Thu, 2013-07-18 at 17:07 +0000, Debarshi Ray wrote:
>  > I am running gnome-shell-3.9.4 on a mostly F19 system, and what happens
>  is
>  > that when you start typing the curtain is automatically lifted. The same
>  > happens if you press enter.
>  >
>  > Cheers,
>  > Debarshi
>
>  I think the easiest solution to the issue is to make any keypress lift
>  the curtain.  Are there any downsides to that?
>
>  --
>  desktop mailing list
>  desktop(a)lists.fedoraproject.org
>  https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/desktop
>

[Adam Williamson]

On Thu, 2013-07-18 at 19:30 -0500, Michael Catanzaro wrote:
>  On Thu, 2013-07-18 at 17:07 +0000, Debarshi Ray wrote:
>  > I am running gnome-shell-3.9.4 on a mostly F19 system, and what happens is
>  > that when you start typing the curtain is automatically lifted. The same
>  > happens if you press enter.
>  > 
>  > Cheers,
>  > Debarshi
>  
>  I think the easiest solution to the issue is to make any keypress lift
>  the curtain.  Are there any downsides to that? 
It is already almost the case in F19. Hitting any *non-modifier* key
raises the shield and actually enters that character in the password
field (the intended interaction is that you can simply start typing your
password).

Hitting modifier keys does nothing, though, and it seems like it might
be a good idea to change that. Also, along with Lynn, I don't understand
why there has to be a shield at all, at least on a typical computer
(which is still, I thought, what GNOME was supposed to be designed for).
The hand-wavy explanation I've been given is 'preventing accidental
interactions', but *exactly* what accidental interactions are we talking
about? On the screen 'behind' the shield, all I can do is enter a
password, change the input method, or adjust the volume. Given that
hitting any key at the shield raises it and activates the password entry
field (as described above), what *exactly* is it that the 'shield' is
shielding me from?
-- 
Adam Williamson
Fedora QA Community Monkey
IRC: adamw | Twitter: AdamW_Fedora | identi.ca: adamwfedora
http://www.happyassassin.net

[Mathieu Bridon]

On Tue, 2013-08-06 at 13:04 -0700, Adam Williamson wrote:
>  Also, along with Lynn, I don't understand
>  why there has to be a shield at all, at least on a typical computer
>  (which is still, I thought, what GNOME was supposed to be designed for). 
One thing it does very well is showing you all the things you missed
while you were gone.

I used to miss notifications before, because I wouldn't always think
about looking at the message tray for stacked notifications which had
been sent while I was gone.

With the shield, I can quickly see if I received a chat message, or
anything else, as soon as I go back to the computer.

Plus, my girlfriend can now pause my annoying music without having to
call me so I enter my password, which she likes.


-- 
Mathieu

[Lynn Dixon]

Mathieu,
All good points, but the same could be possible on a normal login screen
without the need for a "shield".


On Tue, Aug 6, 2013 at 11:05 PM, Mathieu Bridon
<bochecha(a)fedoraproject.org&gt;wrote:

>  On Tue, 2013-08-06 at 13:04 -0700, Adam Williamson wrote:
>  > Also, along with Lynn, I don't understand
>  > why there has to be a shield at all, at least on a typical computer
>  > (which is still, I thought, what GNOME was supposed to be designed for).
>
>  One thing it does very well is showing you all the things you missed
>  while you were gone.
>
>  I used to miss notifications before, because I wouldn't always think
>  about looking at the message tray for stacked notifications which had
>  been sent while I was gone.
>
>  With the shield, I can quickly see if I received a chat message, or
>  anything else, as soon as I go back to the computer.
>
>  Plus, my girlfriend can now pause my annoying music without having to
>  call me so I enter my password, which she likes.
>
>
>  --
>  Mathieu
>
>  --
>  desktop mailing list
>  desktop(a)lists.fedoraproject.org
>  https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/desktop
>

[Marco Scannadinari]

On Wed, 2013-08-07 at 00:07 -0400, Lynn Dixon wrote:
>  Mathieu,
>  All good points, but the same could be possible on a normal login
>  screen without the need for a "shield". 
Yes, i agree

-- 
Marco Scannadinari <marco(a)scannadinari.co.uk&gt;

[Adam Williamson]

On Wed, 2013-08-07 at 00:07 -0400, Lynn Dixon wrote:
>  Mathieu,
>  All good points, but the same could be possible on a normal login
>  screen without the need for a "shield". 
Yup. It's not like the password dialog uses much space.
-- 
Adam Williamson
Fedora QA Community Monkey
IRC: adamw | Twitter: AdamW_Fedora | identi.ca: adamwfedora
http://www.happyassassin.net

[drago01]

On Thu, Jul 18, 2013 at 7:26 AM, Kalvin Lee <kalvinist273(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote:
>  Hello,
>
>  What you've described is the pre-lock screen, sort of (for want of a better
>  name - maybe somebody should correct me).
>
>  You'll want to click and drag the screen upwards. The screen should then,
>  tablet-like, slide up to reveal a login prompt. This caused me some
>  confusion too, at first.
>  
You don't have to do any of that. You could also just press Enter to
lift the shield or even easier just type your password while the
shield is up and press Enter.