Proposal to fix checkpoint 4.17 (open viewports)

Hello,

At the 10 August teleconference [1], we discussed issue 291 and
my original proposal to fix checkpoint 4.17 [3]. 
I received an action item to repropose two checkpoints

From the 28 July Guidelines [4]:

<OLD>
4.17 Allow the user to configure the user agent so that after 
one viewport is open, no other viewports open except on 
explicit user request. [Priority 2] 
     Note: Some users may become disoriented when there are too 
     many open viewports. In addition to configuration, user 
     agents should allow the user to control the number of open
     viewports by selecting and closing them. Following an 
     author-specified link that opens a new viewport does not 
     constitute an explicit request from the user. Refer also 
     to checkpoint 4.16, checkpoint 5.5, and checkpoint 9.3. 
</OLD>

Proposed checkpoints:

<NEW_1>
Allow the user to configure the user agent to only
open viewports on explicit user request. When a viewport is
not opened as a result of this configuration, notify the user
and allow the user to open the viewport manually.
Allow the user to close viewports.
   Note: Navigation of multiple open viewports may be difficult 
   for some users who navigate viewports serially (e.g., users with
   visual or physical disabilities) and for some users with
   cognitive disabilities (who may have difficulty with orientation).
</NEW_1>

NEW_1 Notes and issues:

0) I think that this checkpoint should be a priority 3 checkpoint.

1) Techniques: 
  a) Prompting the user to confirm all viewport openings would 
     satisfy the checkpoint but is not ideal.
  b) Better is to allow various configurations for windows that
     are opened for reasons other than a user request (i.e., 
     when the user chooses "Open new viewport"):
   i) Prompt the user to confirm opening those viewports.
   ii) Do not open those viewports, and do not prompt the user.

2) ISSUE 1: I'm not convinced the UA needs to allow the user
   to open a suppressed viewport at any time thereafter. For instance,
   if the user changes content in viewport A, does the UA still have to
   provide access to suppressed but related viewports B and C? 

3) ISSUE 2: In order for the user to know whether a suppressed viewport
   is indeed interesting, the user will probably have to open it anyway.
   That's probably ok; the issue here is numbers and the user can
control
   the numbers by opening and closing.

<NEW_2>
Allow the user to configure the user agent so that graphical 
viewports opened without explicit user request do not obscure the
graphical viewport with focus.
</NEW>

NEW_2 Notes:

0) I think this should be a priority 2 checkpoint.

1) Does "obscure" mean hide completely or also partially?

2) Techniques
    - Allow a configuration so that new windows open minimized
    - Allow a configuration so that new windows open behind other
windows.
    - Developers may implement this for all viewports, not just those
      opened without explicit user request.

3) I think that this checkpoint should not be merged with the previous
   one for the following reason: the user may want to configure the UA
to 
   avoid obscuring viewports and not configure the UA to suppress
   automatic opening of viewports.
   

[1] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/2000JulSep/0232.html
[2] http://server.rehab.uiuc.edu/ua-issues/issues-linear.html#291
[3] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/2000JulSep/0017.html
[4] http://www.w3.org/WAI/UA/WD-UAAG10-20000728/

-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
Tel:                         +1 831 457-2842
Cell:                        +1 917 450-8783

Received on Wednesday, 16 August 2000 01:18:16 UTC