Feature #15769

Make tails-persistence easier to scroll

Added by huertanix 2018-08-07 20:52:45 . Updated 2018-08-22 06:02:26 .

Status:
Duplicate
Priority:
Normal
Assignee:
huertanix
Category:
Target version:
Start date:
2018-08-07
Due date:
% Done:

0%

Feature Branch:
Type of work:
User interface design
Blueprint:

Starter:
Affected tool:
Deliverable for:

Description

As part of ongoing Tails trainings, I have participants set up persistence using the persistence tool. Unfortunately, when choosing items to add to persistence, most do not realize there’s more options under the fold because they do not notice the razor-thin scrollbar, and only save the first six or so items, leaving out things like network connections resulting in ongoing confusion e.g. “why didn’t my wi-fi password get saved?” One thing of note: This stealthy scrollbar is set up to mostly disappear in Nautilus but Tor Browser is somehow able to keep it visible.

A related issue is that once I point out that there is a scrollbar, most have a challenging time using a trackpad to get a hold of it to scroll. One participant straight up gave up trying and said he couldn’t do it and I had to use my counter-strike-trained fingers to move the cursor over the scrollbar. This also brings up other accessibility concerns, as it may be more of a challenge for older users, who would have to be expected to have sharp enough eyes to see the mostly invisible scrollbar while also having the dexterity to click down on it.

UX recommendation:

Since the calibration of trackpads in XOrg/GNOME/idk across infinite manufacturers is likely not an easily fixable problem, the second best workaround may be to use or create a theme with thicker and more visible scrollbars.

Files

scrollbar.png (63394 B) sajolida, 2018-08-21 11:44:20

Subtasks

Related issues

Related to Tails - Feature #15117: Improve visibility of scrollbar in persistence assistant Duplicate 2017-12-27
Related to Tails - Feature #15784: Always show scrollbar in persistence setup wizard Resolved 2018-08-12

History

#1 Updated by intrigeri 2018-08-07 22:32:59

Just my 2cts: I’ve not used a scrollbar for years as all input devices I’ve used since many years have either been a mouse with scroll support, a touchpad with two-finger scrolling, or similar. I suspect this is the kind of data points that explains why GNOME designers have decided things this way. But of course this is only relevant to usage, not to discovery.

#2 Updated by Anonymous 2018-08-16 10:18:28

  • Subject changed from Adjust gtk theme to have visible and thicc scrollbars to Consider making tails-persistence window more userfriendly
  • Status changed from New to Confirmed
  • Assignee set to sajolida
  • QA Check set to Info Needed

Thanks for reporting this, huertanix. I’ve indeed seen similar behavior.
Now, GNOME guidelines use this design and I don’t think we should make the scrollbars thicker. But eventually we could try to find another way of alerting users that there is more? I’d like to know what our UX team thinks about this.
Renaming the ticket so that we can at least consider thinking about this.

#3 Updated by Anonymous 2018-08-16 12:51:53

  • related to Feature #15117: Improve visibility of scrollbar in persistence assistant added

#4 Updated by Anonymous 2018-08-16 12:53:20

  • Status changed from Confirmed to Duplicate
  • QA Check deleted (Info Needed)

It seems like Feature #15784 actually solves this issue by making the scrollbar visible at all times. So I’m closing this as a duplicate.

#5 Updated by Anonymous 2018-08-16 12:53:35

  • related to Feature #15784: Always show scrollbar in persistence setup wizard added

#6 Updated by intrigeri 2018-08-16 16:11:48

I suspect this has been fixed with Feature #15784.

#7 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-21 11:44:37

  • File scrollbar.png added
  • Subject changed from Consider making tails-persistence window more userfriendly to Make tails-persistence easier to scroll
  • Assignee changed from sajolida to huertanix
  • QA Check set to Info Needed

Hey huertanix!

I’m renaming this ticket to be more specific. Does my new title matches everything you wanted to say?

I’m also attaching a screenshot of how the Persistence configuration looks when opening in 3.9 (after Feature #15784).

Does this solve your concern?

#8 Updated by huertanix 2018-08-22 06:02:26

sajolida wrote:
> I’m renaming this ticket to be more specific. Does my new title matches everything you wanted to say?

I think so; The challenge is both letting the users know that they can scroll as well as making it easy to use the scrollbar, but both those things lead to making it easier to scroll.

> I’m also attaching a screenshot of how the Persistence configuration looks when opening in 3.9 (after Feature #15784).
>
> Does this solve your concern?

I definitely think this improves it a lot, but I’ll have to report back on how users use it to confirm.