GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 723237
Consider removing icon buttons from new dialogs (passwords, cookies, and history)
Last modified: 2018-08-03 20:12:57 UTC
While reviewing epiphany and the changes introduced during 3-11 cycle, we found the key icon not to be really meaningful by itself. Kat discussed a bit with Allan Day, but I don't know the details, so I'll CC them I attach a patch as a POC.
Created attachment 267524 [details] [review] Key icon in password dialog is not meaningful enough Text is better for mere user to know what this button does. Note hovewever having a text in the button changes the height of the toolbar, so the left button is distorted (no more square). sO this patch is not meant to be taken as is, and certainly tweaked.
The name of the icon is dialog-password-symbolic. If it's not meaningful enough then the icon needs fixing. As far as I can tell its purpose is precisely what's being used here for, so I don't agree with this bug.
Review of attachment 267524 [details] [review]: Reviewed.
(In reply to comment #2) > The name of the icon is dialog-password-symbolic. If it's not meaningful enough > then the icon needs fixing. As far as I can tell its purpose is precisely > what's being used here for, so I don't agree with this bug. One of the possible fixes is not using it. When a meaningful metaphor cannot be found, the utility of an icon is 0. dialog-password was meant to categorize a type of a modal dialog. If it's used in a context of revealing a hidden password, it may indeed not work as expected. Honestly I have hard time figuring out a clear metaphor for this.
(In reply to comment #2) > The name of the icon is dialog-password-symbolic. If it's not meaningful enough > then the icon needs fixing. As far as I can tell its purpose is precisely > what's being used here for, so I don't agree with this bug. While the icon name is correct for something related to passwords, it does not convey the functionality clearly. The icon (and the name) could mean anything from "unlock passwords for editing" to "show password only for the selected item" to "edit selected password" to someone who does not know what it does. This is why at least I spent a few minutes thinking about what it does before asking if anyone else in the room knew. I, for one, am glad that I had Baptiste to help me out as there were others around me who could have seen my passwords had I just tried pressing the icon. I very strongly feel that the meaning of it is ambiguous, which is a potential security issue for users when using their computer in a public place. Had the icon had a tooltip, I could at least have known what it does. Something like "Show all passwords" would be suitable. Other web browsers have the same issue as well, but they have various "solutions" for it that remove the associated risk. For example, some browsers have a message dialog that explain what the user is about to do and request a confirmation. Alongside this, some browsers show the password only for the selected item. Other browsers chose to have a button with text. For me personally, as a part-time epiphany user, this is a major security flaw in its current state, but I hope that it will be possible to improve the interaction by the 3.12 release so that other normal users are not affected in this way.
Review of attachment 267524 [details] [review]: Seems fine to me. ::: src/resources/passwords-dialog.ui @@ +256,3 @@ <property name="can_focus">False</property> <property name="use_underline">True</property> + <property name="label" translatable="yes">_Reveal Password</property> Should be plural. I don't think we need to be fussy about it being pedantically wrong when there is only one password. Let's just assume there are multiple.
If designers agree with removing the icon, I'm fine with it.
Baptiste, I hope you don't mind me generalizing this bug. It's not just the passwords dialog, but also the history and cookies dialogs. From the HIG: "Only use icons whose meaning is commonly recognized. If a commonly recognized icon is not available, it might be better to use a text label instead." "Convention establishes which icons will be recognized. If you are in doubt, stick to icons which are frequently used in other applications." I don't think the password icon is conventional; I wasn't sure what it would do. The open link button in the history dialog is even more confusing. "Remember that some icons are only meaningful alongside other icons of the same type. For example, [...] the icon to remove an item from a list is a subtract symbol (ie. a single line), and will not be recognizable without a corresponding "plus" add icon." Might as well have been written for the delete icon in the cookies and history dialogs. [1] https://people.gnome.org/~tobiasmue/hig3/icons-and-artwork.html
Arnaud, can I assign this one to you, too?
-- GitLab Migration Automatic Message -- This bug has been migrated to GNOME's GitLab instance and has been closed from further activity. You can subscribe and participate further through the new bug through this link to our GitLab instance: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/issues/225.