RE: "Scroll-free scrolling" - Is this the SVG WG position?

FWIW, lest Andrew appear to be alone in his concerns about "scroll-free
scrolling," I agree that implementations of SVG on the Windows platform (and
others) should include scrollbars and that the recommendation should make
this clear. Panning is a nice added functionality, but it should not be the
sole means of accommodating images larger than the view screen.

People expect scrollbars. It's that simple. A shift to a panning paradigm
will require retraining millions of users, and will increase the slope of
the learning curve, and for what? Where is the benefit? I am especially
concerned by the ramifications for users with cognitive disabilities of
further complicating the user interface. So I think this is an accessibility
issue.

If it ain't broke... Why, please, would anyone want to write or interpret
the SVG CR to eliminate scrolling? What is gained? Is panning somehow better
than scrolling, and if so, is SVG really the place to implement such a major
change in the user interface? Or would it simply discourage users from
adopting SVG?

Charles F. Munat,
Seattle, Washington

Received on Sunday, 14 January 2001 15:16:05 UTC