Nostr notes by Scott Jenson

I'm late to the party but I just finished "The ...

2026-10-31T04:06:12Z

I'm late to the party but I just finished "The Information" by James Gleick. It's heady stuff but I was fascinated. Such an insightful book. I even found a tie in to #UX design.

Charles Bennett, and American physicist had a concept of "logical depth". It suggests that the value of a message lies in the effort put into its creation, which ultimately makes it easier for the user to understand and process without needing to decode complex information.

This fits UX perfectly.

Strongly recommend.

Your point: "it's more than a radio now" is exactly ...

2026-10-31T03:53:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…g26n
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Your point: "it's more than a radio now" is exactly right. The target has moved. The rules, while we can still appreciate them, aren't as simple to apply any more.

I think there is a lot to talk about here. He was famous for ...

2026-10-31T02:59:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…zp6e
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I think there is a lot to talk about here. He was famous for using the grid, sometimes to an extreme degree. But he also believed in strong visual hierarchy. So as you point out, the larger knobs separating things out, the colors on his calculator, etc/

These were all good examples of visual simplicity and structure. Even his tactical sense with his concave buttons or ridged sliders were way ahead his time. But there's also room to criticize because he frequently used tiny text with low contrast ratios and had a blind spot towards colorblindness.

So I don't have the full story, but I believe this would be a really interesting conversation to have and to flesh out.

I think I showed this to you before? I've started collecting ...

2026-10-30T17:59:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…6fwq
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I think I showed this to you before? I've started collecting these on my site (but I only have 2 right now...)
https://jenson.org/x/UX%20Tests/HoverTest.html

This "accidental animation" can appear fun but I'd ...

2026-10-30T17:41:27Z

This "accidental animation" can appear fun but I'd argue it belongs in our #UX Toolkit as negative pattern. It highlights a fundamental tradeoff: visual vs cognitive design. The dropdown indicator makes it clear the date is clickable. But an entire list of them at the same time is visually more cluttered.

I have my personal opinion but it begs the question: How do we discuss this? The problem is we don't, it's all just opinion. I'd prioritize for cogitive clarity and make the arrows ALWAYS visible at the cost of visual simplicity. Apps like Whatsapp (pictured here) prioritize exactly the opposite.

Fairly trivial problem that highlights a more profound issue: How do we get more rigor and certainty in a field that is mostly driven by "well, I think it looks cool..."

eye roll

2026-10-30T03:25:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…lr6l
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eye roll

A small part of me was interested in the small additions Apple ...

2026-10-30T03:24:49Z

A small part of me was interested in the small additions Apple made to touch input for the MacBook Pro (e.g. expanding the items in a menu more when you touch vs click to give you bigger targets).

But then I realized I just really didn't care because ultimately it didn't really matter. These are all frills on the same dress. Apple makes great hardware to be sure, both it's processors, displays, and laptops are not notch. But nothing has *deeply* changed in a long time. They are spending their energy merging iOS and MacOS, not fundamentally improving what either does.

I get it. Most people don't *want* anything to change, but the first rule of incumbents: maintain the status quo. If Apple has lost the will to make real improvements, I do hope we start seeing others start taking some risks.

My point really wasn't about prototypes. It was about the ...

2026-10-29T04:41:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…yslv
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My point really wasn't about prototypes. It was about the fact that I can use LLMs to be passable at something I know very little about. What's important is that I don't have the judgment to say if it's 'good enough' or not. I happened to approach it through UX and programming, but I think this applies to anything that people are doing with LLMs.

There's a certain Dunning Kruger effect going on with AI. ...

2026-10-29T02:27:02Z

There's a certain Dunning Kruger effect going on with AI. I've talked to other #UX designers and they find it liberating to be able to build prototypes no longer beholden to a programmer.

But that doesn't make them a good programmer, and it certainly doesn't erase the host of ethical and environmental issues behind this. I'm not saying "#LLMs are awesome."

What I'm trying to explain is WHY people are mistakenly thinking this is more powerful than it is in reality. This is where Dunning Kruger comes in: Person A being able to roughly do person B's job (poorly and without even knowing how bad they are) is at the very heart of why the #AI hype is so high.

I think you've nailed it. Apple is chasing margin, not use ...

2026-10-29T02:15:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…q9aj
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I think you've nailed it. Apple is chasing margin, not use cases and the driving use case for touch is exactly what made the iPad great: everyday simple things.

By focusing on novelty, Apple appears to be jumping the shark.

and may I just say you're off to a great start.

2026-10-29T01:54:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…xadh
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and may I just say you're off to a great start.

Exactly... So much of bad UX is just poor organizational ...

2026-10-29T01:54:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…rtun
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Exactly... So much of bad UX is just poor organizational boundaries

honestly, the best part of the Fediverse is that 99% of the ...

2026-10-29T01:08:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…hxtr
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honestly, the best part of the Fediverse is that 99% of the people here are amazing, kind, and helpful. What is truly hard is just admitting that 1% are just horrible people at that they unfortunately, create enough noise to feel like a much larger percentage.

Then, begrudgingly, I'm forced to strengthen my tools to recognize them and then mute/block them. I *don't* want to strengthen those tools! I don't want to even need them!

Some UX failures that are so easy to fix. This is a perfect ...

2026-10-28T23:13:32Z

Some UX failures that are so easy to fix. This is a perfect example. In the new Wow Forever game, you are limited to three characters. But After you create three, you are somehow allowed to start a fourth.

But only when you get to the final final step and hit FINISH do you get the "no, sorry" error message. The same check could have been made at the very beginning of this flow rather than at the very end. And it would have saved so much frustration.

I've had a few of those recently so this is a fairly fresh ...

2026-10-28T22:53:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…35r6
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I've had a few of those recently so this is a fairly fresh topic

How CSS style-able is it? I can imagine people wanting to go ...

2026-10-28T22:51:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…p7e5
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How CSS style-able is it? I can imagine people wanting to go crazy with variations on this...

But that's not the right analogy. If someone on the street ...

2026-10-28T22:50:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…y8fg
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But that's not the right analogy. If someone on the street gives me an odd answer, I agree with you and I'd say thank you anyway.

But if I asked them a question and they starting attacking my character, well then no, I wouldn't thank them. There are many times in the Fediverse that people respond in a way that is inappropriate and angry or very much not nice so no, I don't owe them a reply at all.

This looks great. My only UX concern is with the disabled form. ...

2026-10-28T22:46:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…3jtr
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This looks great. My only UX concern is with the disabled form. It has a highlight on one of the disabled options, which implies it is selected. And I assume if it's disabled neither one should be highlighted, e.g. a dead option shouldn't have a default value.

That's the problem with a question like this, even the "X ...

2026-10-28T17:47:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…euum
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That's the problem with a question like this, even the "X but..." answers have caveats. If someone answers a question in a helpful friendly way, I don't OWE them a reply but I always do with a thank you or at least a heart.

But, as it this the Fediverse, there are always bad faith replies and in no way do I owe them a reply in any way, shape, or form.

Gemini said that "In the DOM, an element cannot exist in two ...

2026-10-27T16:59:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…smwd
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Gemini said that "In the DOM, an element cannot exist in two places at once" and strongly said that your first snippet would MOVE not copy the elements so the remove() was redundant.

I'm just here for the yucks and don't really know, but I WANT to get better at this. Is Gemini hallucinating here?

Brad Myers' Pick, Click, Flick is a historical reference of ...

2026-10-27T04:16:12Z

Brad Myers' Pick, Click, Flick is a historical reference of UX interaction, cataloging the evolution of UX over the decades. As a historical record of what has been built, the book is reasonably thorough.

While reading through it though, I found myself wanting more reflection from the author on why these changes occurred. (e.g. listing every scrollbar is helpful, but a deeper discussion of how they evolved, which ones succeeded, how mobile has turned scrolling on its head, all would have been fascinating) A raw catalog just begs so many "why?" questions. I was hoping Brad's historical perspective might impart more insight.

Ultimately, it is unfair to critique a book for what it never set out to be. Pick, Click, Flick is a historical index of what has gone before, and it succeeds at that goal. It's just whet my appetite for a follow up book that discusses what we've learned from that history (and what we've forgotten!) helping frame what we should be doing next.

Nostr event nevent1qqsru57ntykhqhlv6c45pv0nve0zen4a3upsmkw6vpm505tv35ypg6qzyrva09m8fn0f0kag3a37qu72q0gmq7crux7d0cfj55h56tp80c64g8ud9g7

2026-10-26T18:57:44Z

The android devs works very hard on that app. There are big ...

2026-10-23T02:52:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…5z9y
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The android devs works very hard on that app. There are big changes coming to the iOS app. It was an old build with lots of tech debt. The poor dev has been working hard to clean it up.

Yeah, I REALLY tried and, sigh, to your point, I likely should ...

2026-10-23T02:35:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…d4a9
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Yeah, I REALLY tried and, sigh, to your point, I likely should have given up earlier. I kept thinking there was some misunderstanding we could overcome

I wish that were true, it would be less upsetting.

2026-10-23T01:13:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…nu92
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I wish that were true, it would be less upsetting.

I kept saying "get outta here..." but then it appeared we ...

2026-10-23T01:12:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…90rm
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I kept saying "get outta here..." but then it appeared we were making progress. I really wanted to connect with this person so I'd try again. I fell for it hook line and sinker.

It's a fascinating social dynamic, non-sociopathic people ...

2026-10-23T00:37:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…e376
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It's a fascinating social dynamic, non-sociopathic people WANT to get along, correct mistakes, connect with the person, even try to make friends. This type of troll hacks that as a weakness, makes YOU feel like you've made the mistake, turns everything around on you.

Really nasty and deeply disturbing behavior.

Yeah, that sounds REALLY hard to pull off

2026-10-23T00:31:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…3xsn
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Yeah, that sounds REALLY hard to pull off

I just had a LONG conversation with someone accusing me of all ...

2026-10-23T00:29:17Z

I just had a LONG conversation with someone accusing me of all sorts of negative things, and what I found most toxic was their LACK of toxic language. They were calm, reasonable, and even polite.

But they used provocative language, subtlely criticising me and, of course, always asking for clarifications. This is the worst type of predator on Mastodon, the "polite troll" that hides behind civility but never wants to have a proper conversation, twisting words to get you angry.

They did me a great favor in the long run. It helped sharpen how I engage with disingenuous people that only want to waste your time. Thank you polite troll, for teaching me a lesson.

you do realize you're just proving my point? ...

2026-10-23T00:21:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…g2v4
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you do realize you're just proving my point? "Scared"? Really. You really are acting like a troll now. You have actually earned that block. I'm just giving you (and anyone reading along) a clear message trail to show that I've given you every opportunity to have a reasonable conversation

you're using micro-agression terms, accusing me of ...

2026-10-23T00:18:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…hfzx
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you're using micro-agression terms, accusing me of nit-picking, or saying I'm evading. These are loaded terms, meant to provoke. This isn't a conversation that is occuring in good faith. I'm not going to block you but I'm done having this conversation.

And yes, I'm prepared for you to turn this isn't another claim about how I'm not listening people given my "immense power position within the community". This is simply gaslighting and not a productive conversation.

whatever

2026-10-23T00:12:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…27w9
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whatever

It appears you're trying to set a trap, getting me to admit ...

2026-10-23T00:09:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…hw3n
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It appears you're trying to set a trap, getting me to admit I'm a "professional" and I "sometimes use code" so you can jump up and yell "ah HA! you *are* a professional programmer!"

There is a big difference between a "professional programmer" and a "professional UX designer". I'm not sure why you're so adamant in trying to get me pegged as a "professional programmer" I don't see the distinction as important to this conversation.

There is no simple answer to that question

2026-10-23T00:06:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…g4en
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There is no simple answer to that question

That's great news. Part of the curse of ASCII is that you ...

2026-10-23T00:03:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…cly6
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That's great news. Part of the curse of ASCII is that you don't get the nuance of what people say. I (apparently wrongly) assumed you were angry with me. I'm glad that's not the case.

My point was simple: if somehow starts using abusive language to talk to me, I don't owe them some 'second chance'. I actually put up with quite a lot here. I don't block people for trivial reasons. I've blocked very few people. But if they call me an "asswipe" I don't have to apologize or defend my decision to block them.

You're talking in circles. OF COURSE I've had ...

2026-10-23T00:00:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…m582
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You're talking in circles. OF COURSE I've had professional jobs, the specific point is that you called me a "professional programmer". I was just trying to say I am a professional UX designer. I've never denied that I was "professional" in any way.

answer MY question: "Where have I ever stated I was a ...

2026-10-22T23:56:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…g4em
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answer *MY* question: "Where have I ever stated I was a "professional programmer"?

Two VERY separate points: 1. I am an advisor only. I don't ...

2026-10-22T23:55:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…wdzd
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Two VERY separate points:
1. I am an advisor only. I don't make decisions for the Mastodon team so an emphatic no, my decisions don't impinge upon millions.
2. I *do* engage with the community. You are clearly angry and upset with me and that's fine. I'm engaging with you because you are just angry, not toxic. I want to understand where you're coming from. When people no longer want to engage in good faith and start calling me names, there is absolutely zero reason to continue talking to them.

Please, enlighten me, where I have I said I was a ...

2026-10-22T23:49:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…pe4k
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Please, enlighten me, where I have I said I was a "professional programmer".

So you don't believe there shouldn't be ANY community ...

2026-10-22T23:48:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…5w5y
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So you don't believe there shouldn't be ANY community standards to communicating here? I have absolutely no issue with anyone blocking someone that is making them feel unsafe. People have blocked me many times and I totally support their right to do that (even if I don't agree with their reasons)

That is what the fediverse was built on, building a safe space for everyone. Don't don't belive in that. You are basically saying that my "privileged position" (which is a very dubious concept as I don't even work for Mastodon) requires me to let any abuse me.

Several points: 1. I'm not a "professional ...

2026-10-22T23:44:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…0d2j
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Several points:
1. I'm not a "professional programmer" I'm a UX designer.
2. I volunteer my time to open source project, no one pays me for anything
3. I'm not a staff member for any open source project
4. I engage with lots of people without blocking them, even ones that are rude
5. But when people start to attack me personally, that crosses a line and I feel no need to "be nice to them" and to continue to engage.

I'm not doing that. It's said far and wide in the ...

2026-10-22T23:40:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…drf4
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I'm not doing that. It's said far and wide in the fediverse that you should "block early, block often" and if people are swearing at me and calling me names, I don't see why I need to accept that.

I have no problem with people disagreeing with me.

Is calling me an "asswipe" or a "fucker" a ...

2026-10-22T23:38:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…mqru
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Is calling me an "asswipe" or a "fucker" a meaningless pretext?

I think you're trying to misunderstand me on purpose. They ...

2026-10-22T23:37:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…ke95
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I think you're trying to misunderstand me on purpose. They built a new UI and while I do advise them, this is their work. I'm not trying to dodge responsibility. I was calling you out: you appear to hate this UI *because* I worked on it.

I'm trying to tell you that's not correct. You can hate me. Fine go ahead, I'm not trying to talk you out of your burning hatred of me, but to hate the UI because you think it's entirely mine you just over-hating.

I had very little to do with this design. Don't map your ...

2026-10-22T23:28:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…plxe
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I had very little to do with this design. Don't map your hatred of me onto them. I advise the team but I don't work for them (I'm not even paid by the team).

There is the filter feature that's built into Mastodon. So if ...

2026-10-22T23:24:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…xjn7
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There is the filter feature that's built into Mastodon. So if you don't want to see any posts about Trump, for example, you can put that into the filter and no post of any type that mentions Trump will show up. Is that what you were talking about?

Classic advice for toxic behavior is "just block". Yes it ...

2026-10-22T20:14:40Z

Classic advice for toxic behavior is "just block". Yes it does help. I've had to block about 10 accounts in the last month and honestly, things have drastically calmed down. It seems to prove that most of the toxic behavior is from a small minority.

But In doing user research, it was clear that many people self censor out of fear of toxic blowback.

The problem is that it's not just one block, you need to do it many times and each time you do it, your perception of the problem is reinforced. The trick is to get to the other side.

Many don't make it. That is my worry.

yes

2026-10-22T16:48:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…ts47
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yes

RE: https://social.coop/@scottjenson/117473614309131678 Some ...

2026-10-22T16:25:08Z

RE: https://social.coop/@scottjenson/117473614309131678

Some people seem to be thinking I'm taking credit for this design. Far from it. I had little to do with this redesign but I am proud of the team and what they've tried to do here. But change is hard and it takes time. Additional fixes and improvements will happen.

Thank you for all of the people that have taken time to give constructive and helpful feedback to the Mastodon team (which to be clear, has NOT hired me. I'm not a paid member of the team ;-)

quoting
note1xg3…quf7

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Mastodon/117466983307949301

So much great work went into this, focusing not only and clarity but #accessibility. It was done only after talking to the community extensively. There are so many thoughtful details. Just poke around and you'll find them. Sure it's not fully complete yet (e.g. the right side is empty) but such a change a HUGE lift and a small team so they have to take it in waves.

But I love the new structure and look (and themes!)

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Mastodon/117466983307949301 So much ...

2026-10-20T14:05:01Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Mastodon/117466983307949301

So much great work went into this, focusing not only and clarity but #accessibility. It was done only after talking to the community extensively. There are so many thoughtful details. Just poke around and you'll find them. Sure it's not fully complete yet (e.g. the right side is empty) but such a change a HUGE lift and a small team so they have to take it in waves.

But I love the new structure and look (and themes!)

These are all very interesting ideas, thanks for sharing.

2026-10-19T23:43:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…z9qm
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These are all very interesting ideas, thanks for sharing.

That is true. I was just trying to list out out ideas to get ...

2026-10-19T23:42:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…vmwp
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That is true. I was just trying to list out out ideas to get people thinking

We need data otherwise we're both just guessing. For example, ...

2026-10-19T23:41:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…4gnm
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We need data otherwise we're both just guessing. For example, I follow enough people that there are popular posts that are long gone by the chronological feed. Yes truly viral posts will make it but I want something a bit more subtle.

I love what [@phanpy](https://hachyderm.io/@phanpy ) has done with it's inline boosts carousel. I realize it's not for everyone but it's a small thing that shows there are ways to bump things transparently that are helpful.

It would be an optional feed, nothing universal

2026-10-19T20:30:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…v9wa
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It would be an optional feed, nothing universal

RE: https://hachyderm.io/@mekkaokereke/117455880475309031 GIven ...

2026-10-19T17:51:50Z

RE: https://hachyderm.io/@mekkaokereke/117455880475309031

GIven the positive traction this post got, I'd like to collect some "benevolent algorithms" we could consider. For example:
* Popular posts among people you follow
* Popular posts on your server
* Popular posts with this hashtag
* What would you suggest???

"popular" is defined as some transparent metric around replies + boosts

That is great news and I applaud the effort. My only worry is ...

2026-10-10T23:54:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…cvsx
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That is great news and I applaud the effort. My only worry is that it is far too little too late. GIMP has had so much feedback on it's UX over the last decade and for the most part, actively discouraged acting on it, that I fear the damage has been done. GIMP is almost the poster child for "FOSS with bad UX" at this point (I don't wish to throw stones, you seem like a nice person, this is just how it's discussed in design circles) It's not you, it's the history.

Gimp's attitude, which appears to be "we're only here ...

2026-10-10T14:29:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…46y6
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Gimp's attitude, which appears to be "we're only here for a narrow group that understands our goal" is a self inflicted wound, that revels in "not being mainstream". They have actively rebuffed any attempts at improving their UX (or at least characterized those attempts as misguided).

You know, it's a wide world and it really is their choice. In many ways I applaud their commitment to a vision, even if I personally feel it is counter productive. That's the power of open source and it's why these alternative craft apps (which are also open source) have a chance to win. There is a good chance will be the more popular choice (assuming they continue to improve)

interesting point of view. I applaud them for having a goal they ...

2026-10-09T20:05:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…njy9
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interesting point of view. I applaud them for having a goal they believe in. I'm just dating that many consumer types since share that goal

you aren't the target user in referring to. I know of many ...

2026-10-09T20:04:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…f72y
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you aren't the target user in referring to. I know of many many people that have tried gimp and just gave up in frustration. Photoshop isn't amazingly simple either but it is well known to millions of people. Those people are the target users I'm referring to

lose in the sense that it will lose users and ultimately ...

2026-10-09T17:50:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…a9kz
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lose in the sense that it will lose users and ultimately attention (and likely contributions). I agree there is a hard core user base that likely isn't going anywhere

The big loser in the "vibe coded Adobe apps" news ...

2026-10-09T17:28:06Z

The big loser in the "vibe coded Adobe apps" news isn't Adobe but Gimp. It is likely these apps won't be as good as Adobe but they do have a much cleaner UX so the occasional users that tried Gimp and gave up now have a much better alternative.
https://getartcraft.com/

Glad you liked it. I put a lot of work into that post and really ...

2026-09-26T23:18:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…ywcx
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Glad you liked it. I put a lot of work into that post and really feel like there's some interesting low-level details to discuss. And Raph Koster (npub1vsr…rrnp) is just a gem of a person to work with.

I really meant it! Please send comments and questions. I want to ...

2026-09-26T23:16:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…kjyp
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I really meant it! Please send comments and questions. I want to engage with community and talk about ways to make this better. My ideas are just the starting point and there's so much more that should be done.

Yeah, I'm quite sure that any new desktop change is going to ...

2026-09-26T22:49:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…lymg
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Yeah, I'm quite sure that any new desktop change is going to feel radical and frustrating. The comments on my YouTube video are a good example of that. There's a small group of people that just don't want you to touch anything ever, and they are not going to be happy with even the tiniest change.

That's why this type of thing needs to be an experiment, it needs to be on the side, and people need to play with it optionally before it ever makes it into a mainstream release

Gnome is following it's own path and even if there are folks ...

2026-09-26T04:07:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…g5ru
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Gnome is following it's own path and even if there are folks that don't like it, you have to admire the commitment. I'm supportive of them doing whatever the hell they want, as long as they believe in it.

At least they are making a principled stand. The beauty of Linux distros is that you can vote with your attention. Don't like it? Then don't use it. But I don't agree with some of the rather strong replies I've seen about Gnome (not you! You were very neutral in your question) But there are people who get REALLY bent out of shape over Gnome and I'm a bit surprised. Just install something else?

I did speak at GUADEC, two years ago and spoke about this very ...

2026-09-25T05:18:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…pc7s
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I *did* speak at GUADEC, two years ago and spoke about this very same effort. I didn't have these demos at the time but I did ask them if they were interested in collaborating. I don't want to be snarky, they were going through a lot of management turmoil at the time, but nothing has really come of it. I tried....

I don't care if it's expensive. I don't care if ...

2026-09-24T19:49:30Z

I don't care if it's expensive.
I don't care if it's not practical.

This is just fun and joyous. We need more explorations like this.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yAabREkiUEs

I worked on the Android team for YEARS and I just learned that ...

2026-09-24T18:15:48Z

I worked on the Android team for YEARS and I just learned that you can turn on "Clipboard History" on GBoard.

So many useful features are just too hard to find/setup.

So glad you liked it. I"m now trying to figure out how to ...

2026-09-22T14:01:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…09lp
_________________________

So glad you liked it. I"m now trying to figure out how to make these HTML demos into something a bit more real. It doesn't have to be perfectly executed, but good enough to actually play with. I expect "making it real" will uncover more issues/insights.

They were all HTML/CSS but I was using the new Canvas-in-HTML API ...

2026-09-22T13:59:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…0477
_________________________

They were all HTML/CSS but I was using the new Canvas-in-HTML API in the mor recent Chrome build. It allows me to build everything using standard HTML/CSS but then animate it as if it was a standard Canvas object. Very fun new API.

This is a hot topic right now. In my very personal opinion, I ...

2026-09-21T05:54:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…26mg
_________________________

This is a hot topic right now. In my very personal opinion, I think there are two things happening. One, there is a general frustration with social media across the board, which I think is the bigger trend. There is also a micro trend about the culture of Mastodon and how it chases away some users, but that's a delicate topic to discuss.

My "Future of Desktop UX (part 2)" talk at #KDE Akademy ...

2026-09-21T04:46:39Z

My "Future of Desktop UX (part 2)" talk at #KDE Akademy is now up and it's racking up lots of views. I'm excited people want to discuss this more.

Now I just need someone with Wayland experience to help me prototype this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7AfAcQwLW0

;-) Either one still made the point eloquently. My experiment in ...

2026-09-16T20:43:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…55vp
_________________________

;-)
Either one still made the point eloquently. My experiment in multi-color proved its own uselessness. Sometimes you have to try stupid things just to stare them in the face and go "oh yeah, not gonna work"

e.g. this. I do worry what would be a bit busy if all three fired ...

2026-09-16T18:07:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…lad9
_________________________

e.g. this. I do worry what would be a bit busy if all three fired at once

I tend to worry with any discussion that starts with "the ...

2026-09-16T17:47:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…8vpk
_________________________

I tend to worry with any discussion that starts with "the user will get used to it" as that just hides a poor design the user has to overcome. But if the low battery/low wifi/low signal are appropriately shown (e.g. with different colors for each of the 3 cases) I think this could be much easier to parse/understand

Oh, I use them too! My point was, at least in the context of my ...

2026-09-16T17:45:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…5jay
_________________________

Oh, I use them too! My point was, at least in the context of my home, they are almost always unnecessary.

When travelling, they can be very helpful. That was my point:
1. 80%+ of the time, they are unhelpful/unnecessary
2. The remainder (e.g. low battery, low coverage) are when this needs to shine. Can these edge cases be covered by this combined design?

I think they can. I'm warming up to this approach but I do think the devil is in the details.

Tonight, looking in the upper right hand corner of my Android, I ...

2026-09-16T02:26:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…uyan
_________________________

Tonight, looking in the upper right hand corner of my Android, I realized how little I use these icons. They are an unchanging fixture while home. There is a point to be made that these three icons, as the technology improves, become almost unnecessary.

The value of the combined icon is how it behaves at the extremes when it is really needed.

Have you seen the 'encoded icon' that combines wifi, ...

2026-09-15T22:45:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…d7zd
_________________________

Have you seen the 'encoded icon' that combines wifi, battery, and signal strength? It's.... interesting. I totally see the approach, I'm curious how it feels/works in daily life. I can imagine edge cases where it's a little too hard to parse.

I do as well and I'm looking forward to playing with it and ...

2026-09-15T21:39:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…8t40
_________________________

I do as well and I'm looking forward to playing with it and see if they've added any settings that will let people change to the other side. I don't think so, but I'll be looking.

I realize the hinge complicates this (it's not like a watch which you can just turn upside down). But this could be a deal breaker for some people (or they simply just don't use it in closed mode as much).

I'm using VoiceInk

2026-09-15T18:38:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…x6jy
_________________________

I'm using VoiceInk

I'm now using a local on-device voice to text transcriber on ...

2026-09-15T17:54:07Z

I'm now using a local on-device voice to text transcriber on my computer and it really is revolutionizing how I input text. It allows me to write much longer passages than I would normally want to write by hand.

The downside is that I have to lock myself in my office because using it in the living room with my wife drives her crazy.
#UX #Voice

It's shockingly easy, just order: -1; on the nav panel and ...

2026-09-10T19:38:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…v2ja
_________________________

It's shockingly easy, just

order: -1;

on the nav panel and "poof", left hand side
I also reduce the width to trigger the table media query

I've hacked my #Mastodon web page's #CSS so it displays ...

2026-09-10T19:35:00Z

I've hacked my #Mastodon web page's #CSS so it displays 'properly' ;-)

@npub17ru…z6ez here is my reply again

2026-08-26T17:56:19Z

Shannon (npub17ru…z6ez) here is my reply again

RE: https://oldbytes.space/@gloriouscow/117136432242182000 I ...

2026-08-23T20:48:25Z

RE: https://oldbytes.space/@gloriouscow/117136432242182000

I think this can be said about many things, ESPECIALLY technology.

quoting
note1vrh…qnaj

my eternal frustration with art, is that i can envision exactly what i want to make, but it rarely turns out how i envision.

you have to somehow be satisfied with where you end up, even if it wasn't quite what you expected

I think this is an excellent idea. Maybe a service structured ...

2026-08-22T23:31:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…lumk
_________________________

I think this is an excellent idea. Maybe a service structured like WordPress.org? e.g. a virtual host that lets you sign up and create an account, even have your own domain if you want. Provide a basic service for free but a small monthly fee for some reasonable extra service to help pay for the service.

RE: https://wandering.shop/@annaleen/117135902637208489 I loved ...

2026-08-22T17:11:21Z

RE: https://wandering.shop/@annaleen/117135902637208489

I loved it. Fun read

quoting
note1g94…yfje

Need a delicious read this late summer weekend? Automatic Noodle just came out in paperback! Give it a try -- you might like it! I just signed a bunch of copies at Noe Valley Books. 🤓 You can order it there, or at your local indie (Bookshop.org is great too!) https://noevalleybooks.com/book/9781250450982

one of the big improvements to the 5.0 work is simplifying the ...

2026-08-22T16:59:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…nwad
_________________________

one of the big improvements to the 5.0 work is simplifying the overall design system. It should not be hard for someone to extend the CSS to remove that rounding if it is seen as a problem.

However, I want to point out that the word "preliminary" was plastered all over those screenshots, the specific CSS has not been finalized so don't get too worried just yet.

But I have to say I'm a bit shocked that people are having such strong reactions. It feels like rounded corners represents something much deeper that people are reacting to?

My work on Mobile Text Editing made it clear there is ALOT going ...

2026-08-22T13:53:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…c9jw
_________________________

My work on Mobile Text Editing made it clear there is ALOT going on with low level Mobile UIs that isn't discussed or appreciated, e.g. it's far more than 'scrolling with your finger'.

I don't disagree with you but unfortunately, I can't reproduce your use case. But I"d like to! I think we SHOULD be discussing this more, expanding our UX vocabulary so we're all on the same page. If you wouldn't mind explaining (possibly in a DM if you prefer) how to get this problem to fire, I'd very much appreciate it.

The goal of the blog post was to discuss the broad changes that ...

2026-08-21T20:03:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…hu59
_________________________

The goal of the blog post was to discuss the broad changes that are coming to 5.0 and where the team wants to go in 5.1 and beyond. It was not whether the border radius would be 5 or 11 pixels. Of all the things discussed in that post, was the border radius your biggest concern?

no, I think your comment is spot on, and I think we just need ...

2026-08-21T13:41:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…f98t
_________________________

no, I think your comment is spot on, and I think we just need more conversations like this. This is a complicated topic. People oversimplify it, and we need to back up and generate vocabulary and perspective so we can understand it. So no, I think you're spot on!

That's so fun to hear. Glad you found that helpful. Are you ...

2026-08-20T21:27:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…e025
_________________________

That's so fun to hear. Glad you found that helpful. Are you interested in discussing something you've written? I'm happy to keep the conversation going

I just installed it and it seems to work reasonably well. I just ...

2026-08-19T16:18:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…n7js
_________________________

I just installed it and it seems to work reasonably well. I just wish it had a little bit more visual polish. Tusky just has a much better overall layout and design in my opinion.

Hey @npub18wv…53pp any chance quote post creation will be ...

2026-08-19T14:12:30Z

Hey Tusky (npub18wv…53pp) any chance quote post creation will be arriving soon?

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Mastodon/117117221397911074 This is ...

2026-08-19T04:10:02Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@Mastodon/117117221397911074

This is just outstanding work, deeply rooted in talking to the community and solving pain points users are facing every day. This is such a great step forward.

quoting
note1w53…4t5m

After publishing the results of Discovery Week, we can now give you a first sneak peak at Mastodon 5.0, our next big version. It will bring a new visual look to your screens, a refreshed and calmer layout, as well as a new composer.

https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2026/08/5.0-laying-the-foundation/

#mastodon #mastodon5.0

Thank you for that well articulated reply. It's very much ...

2026-08-19T03:07:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…a6ms
_________________________

Thank you for that well articulated reply. It's very much appreciated. I do want to acknowledge that this is a very Sensitive topic. But you've hit the nail on the head.

There would be clear markers to make it unarchivable (quiet publc + not opting in ti search) I'm likely misunderstanding something. If they can't be archived, I'm trying to see the threat vector

I actually do think I understand part of it. It's just raw ...

2026-08-18T23:53:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…vaqh
_________________________

I actually do think I understand part of it. It's just raw hatred for big tech which I want to be empathetic towards. Big tech certainly hasn't behaved well at all, but this feels like a knee jerk blind spot.

micro reactors

2026-08-18T13:20:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…zy0d
_________________________

micro reactors

there are numerous tools to make your intent clear, e.g. quiet ...

2026-08-18T12:22:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…0fev
_________________________

there are numerous tools to make your intent clear, e.g. quiet public and global search is opt-in. You have complete control of your posts visibility.

If you then choose to not use either of those and make your post public, I don't understand the concern if posts are archived

I'm at a bar and this happens. Apparently it's called CNC ...

2026-08-17T05:10:54Z

I'm at a bar and this happens. Apparently it's called CNC snowfill engraving. I had to buy another drink just to see it in action