[uf-discuss] geo in Firefox 3 (as: Microformats gets strong showing in Firefox 3 UI)

[Pelle W]

Alex Faaborg skrev:
>>> The problem with geo is that it is horrible to show in a UI
> Mike: I think we should still try to support geo.  Exposing the user 
> to geographic coordinates isn't ideal, but I think that it is 
> considerably better than hiding the action entirely.
>
> I've been talking to Mike Beltzner (UX lead at Mozilla) about 
> microformats UI over the last week, and we are now considering a UI 
> similar to the one Pelle proposed 
> (http://pelle.vox.nu/koncept/locationBarMenu_pelle_small.jpg), in 
> addition to the mouse cursor change.
One could perhaps have map-thumbnails describing the position of a geo 
briefly? Enabling the user to se if the position is in the USA or in 
Asia and perhaps in which state without the need of clicking through to 
an external map service. Perhaps even a thumbnail could be viewed in 
connection to the notification of the microformat?
> We are also thinking about using the cursor change for other types of 
> content handling, like links with specific protocols (mailto:, 
> webcal:, etc.) and files that will either download or launch a 
> particular application.  So this UI is not specific to microformats, 
> but content handling in general.
It could also be done for different file extensons, at least those 
connected to plug-ins,
like the extension Link Alert, 
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3199, does today.
There's quite some people who are annoyed when Adobe Reader starts up 
when they thought they opened a website...

The difficulty with this could be when the webpage changes to much - if 
a link to a mailadress is triggered by JavaScript instead of a mailto: 
to prevent spambots for example. If the user expects a different cursor 
then perhaps he/she will be confused. Then again - one could have a 
special JavaScript icon - although a link can be both a mailto: and a 
JavaScript which directs the click somewhere else... The came thing 
applies to microformats - if they are moved, hidden or replaced with 
JavaScript or CSS - like imagereplacement technologies - then my 
contactinfo in an image might not trigger an icon although I have a 
hidden microformat for it...

Perhaps the solution should be a new microformat which can be used to 
connect my image with contactinfo to my elements with a hCard? Perhaps 
such a microformat could also be used to describe what a link that 
triggers a javascript event actually does? Perhaps it could be made to 
trick people into believing that they're clicking something else than 
they actyally are - but that's the same case as if the cursor triggers 
on a link with a mailto: and an onclick-event.


/ Pelle