Re: [Pan-users] Readability suggestion. Feature request.

[Carl Wilhelm Soderstrom]

On Wed, Jun 04, 2003 at 12:05:18AM +0200, Torstein Sunde wrote:
> Eelco Hoekema wrote:
> > Nothing, Agent keeps it empty. Found this example in google:
> > http://gigaschatten.de/agent/images/main_window.gif
> 
> Here the author of the replies is shown in the Subject column, and not
> in the Author column.  IMHO, this looks rather messy.

in the sense that different information types are being displayed in the
same area?
I can understand that objection.

IMHO, it's a more compact way to represent the data; and I like compact
representations. :) it does require a 'modal' type of thought, which (emacs
proponents to the contrary) the human brain usually handles pretty well. if
I have a mouse in my hand, I move my hand to point; if I have a trackball I
know that I must move my thumb; if I have a pencil I know that I move my
fingers; and in the same way, if following a thread in a scheme like the one
under current debate, I know that if I move my eyes down a line from the one
listing the subject, my mind should remain in the 'mode' of that subject but
the next piece of data will be an author's name rather than requiring me to
read the subject line again. 

I belive this will shave a few small fractions of a second off the time
needed to process a line in a listing of posts; and eventually these small
fractions will add up to a notable period of time.

tho that said, there's better gains to be had in other ways; so I wouldn't
put this as a very high priority. :)

Carl.
-- 
Systems Administrator
Real-Time Enterprises
www.real-time.com