Functions where you least expect them...

I was reading Nelson Minar’s blog about how someone smart resorted to doing something the hard way because the easy way wasn’t obvious. The task was copying Favorites from one PC to another & the solution was re-creating the shortcuts by hand! Nelson showed an easier way(!) which is to copy the favourites folder from one computer to another. That’s one solution but not the only one…

I.E. has another way to transfer Favorites hidden on the File menu under Import/Export. You can export Favorites to an HTML page which can be used with any machine/browser combination (even a Mac) or Imported (using the same IE function) to re-create the Favorites on another Windows PC. It’s brilliant but why is there no reference to it on the I.E. Favorites Menu, even it’s “Organise Favorites” option? I’m no usability expert but that’s where I’d expect to find them not hidden under File>Import/Export. I only found out about this function when my CAD dealer sent me some favourites in the form of a HTML page!

This also struck a chord as I recently watched another user struggle with a hidden function that should be better exposed. I was showing a novice DWF Viewer user how easy it is to move objects & slice 3D DWFs with the Toolbar Fly-out or Right Click tools.

This led to the, rather obvious, question; “How do I remove/reset all these changes?”

I struggled to explain why you can’t do this from the same Toolbar/Right Click interface but have to:

• Display/expand the correct Navigator Pane section (Model or Cross Section)
• Then select the correct item
• Then Right Click>Remove…

This led to the simplest solution, just close the DWF and re-open it. Not the “correct” method but hiding functions where you least expect them can lead to strange solutions from users…

Inspired by: Nelson's Weblog: tech / bad /Syncing Favorites - Computers make life easier?

Inspired by: Nelson's Weblog: tech / bad /Syncing Favorites - Computers make life easier?