adding to circle ought to default to an add

[denise]

[Suggestion made by OpenID user, reposted by moi.]

Summary:

"add to circle" ought to default to both "grand access" and "subscribe" checked, then let me uncheck one if i wish.

Description:

when i click add to circle, no boxes are checked by default. perhaps the most compelling argument can be made for having both checked by default (both grant access and subscribe). but at least one ought to be checked by defualt. lest why did i click "add to circule"?

Suggested by:

ext_45274

Poll #4324 adding to circle ought to default to an add

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 73

View Respondents

This suggestion:

View Answers

Should be implemented as-is
18 (24.7%)

Should be implemented with changes (please comment)
20 (27.4%)

Shouldn't be implemented
26 (35.6%)

(I have no opinion)
5 (6.8%)

(Other: please comment)
4 (5.5%)

Comments

[rebelsheart]

This makes sense to me. Clearly, I clicked the button to do something.

In the interests of preventing accidental sharing of information, I think it should default to Subscribe.

[sally_maria]

Yes, I think that's probably the most sensible arrangement, though defaulting to both wouldn't be terrible.

[nafs]

+1

[sedge]

+1

[sedge]

+1

[cesy]

+1

[noracharles]

Edited to change my vote to default both unchecked, add a warning if nothing is changed when you submit.

[arethinn]

+1

[kerravonsen]

+1

[silverflight8]

Yes, this.

[syderia]

I would default to checking only "subscribe", since I figure either people only subscribe, or they both grant access and subscribe.

[ratcreature]

I grant access to some people who subscribe to me, but I don't have any interest in reading, so I don't subscribe to them. So really all combinations occur. IMO having nothing checked is better, that way nothing can accidentally happen because you overlooked a pre-selected ticky, and you have to choose what you want to do.

[yvi]

This has bothered me before as well, bhe two most used cases are probably both checked and for subscribe checked and I'd rather then have it be blank, so that I know I need to do something.

[holyschist]

I like it fine the way it is now, but would NOT want it to default to both checked. Obvs. others would. Would it maybe be possible to implement a journal setting, so each user can define the behavior of "add to circle" for themself (default both checked, neither checked, subscribe checked, or access checked)?

[cesy]

You may want to read why options are not always a good thing, if you haven't already.

Would having just subscribe checked be a problem for you, or would that be okay?

[dragonfly]

I kind of think assuming "add to circle" should mean "grant access" is more appropriate on other platforms. That's how I thought on LJ, because I had no other option.

I like it as it is. It's appropriate for the new model Dreamwidth has given us -- with a split between subscribing and granting access. Adding to my circle means adding to my reading list. Who I grant access to is an entirely different affair. I don't want that box checked by default.

[karmag]

Hmm. Why "add to circle" in the first place, and not something more descriptive? I'm new to this place (never used LJ either) and "add to circle" prompted the question of what it was ("is it like a friend list? or maybe some sort of cult?") and sent me to the FAQ.

Yeah, so it's presumably a well-established phrase for everyone but me, and you are not going to change it, but still. What you click on matters; if it had said something neutral like "modify relationship" it would be obvious that no boxes should be pre-ticked; if it had said "subscribe to (name)" it would be obvious that exactly one should be, etc. "Add to circle" has the unfortunate property that it's not immediately obvious what it ought to do, and that is the root of the problem, IMHO.

[matgb]

I'm new to this place (never used LJ either)

It shouldn't, but seeing someone actually say this made me smile. Wanted it to start happening, and knew it would have to happen, but knowing we are actually recruiting people just because this site is cool, not because it's Not LJ is a Good Thing. Sorry, tangent.

and you are not going to change it

Not necessarily true. We're still in Beta for a reason, and site User Interface is something the whole team take very seriously. Because I'd followed it since the beginning, and because most of the devs followed it since the beginning, we all know what the Circle is, we know it's history, we know it was one of the primary objectives to change from LJ.

But it confused you, and to an extent, you're more of a target user than most of us, because you're not an LJ expat.

So it might be an idea to reassess the basics there anyway, having both as an option listed might be better, both 'subscribe' and 'grant access' have obvious meanings to anyone new, Circle is a bit amorphous and might not be the best long term idea, at least not within the main UI links.

[sibyllevance]

Yes to subscribing, no to granting access. I'd be very worried if granting access were ticked :(

[florentinescot]

I wish that they were both checked -- or just send only one email. I get two -- one for granting access and one for subscribing. I just answer one -- since both take me to a page where I have the option to check both boxes.

[denise]

We have a bug open to combine the emails, but it's harder than you think.

[northern]

"Subscribe" should get ticked automatically.

[willful_zephyr]

Looking at different parts of the UI, most places have both a "Grant Access" and "Subscribe" link.

If I click "Grant Access", I expect that option to be preselected. If I click "Subscribe", I expect that option to be preselected.

I don't think it is too onerous to have to select the other option, if I want to.

If there is a lot of confusion, you could add a third, "Subscribe & Grant Access" option that preselects both. Personally, I think that is clutter.

The Circle concept is nice, but if you are going to use that metaphor, you should incorporate it more thoroughly into the language; ie: "Subscribe" would be an "Inbound Circle", "Grant Access" an "Outbound Circle", both would be a "Full Circle (all the way)".

Clicking "Subscribe" and getting a page called "Add to Circle" is a confusing change.

[fizzyblogic]

I really like the way it is now, and would feel like I was being nudged intrusively towards a decision if one or more boxes were pre-checked.

[triadruid]

But as it is now doesn't DO anything. All you're doing with that click is going to the screen that lets you actually do something. It's confusing.

"Add to Circle" is jargon, and it's not clear if the default should be to subscribe or grant access. It seems to me then that changing it to a 'Subscribe' link (which is the lower-risk click, and gives you that additional option to Grant Access', would help clarify.

[reddragdiva]

This. Every single time, I have to go to make the gratuitous second click. Not adding both is the exception, so far with zero cases.

What are the actual statistics? How many select one, how many select both? That would give a clue as to the best option.

[matgb]

I virtually never grant access to someone I don't know well yet, but do do so later on. I don't also reciprocate immediately, I like to make sure I actually get a feel for the person.

I rarely post locked, and when I do it's for a reason. I know I'm an outlier as a typical user, but a lot of people are closer to me than you, I reckon the truthis somewhere in the middle.

Regardless, given the number of comments saying "no, don't default to grant access, I'd do it by mistake" above, I suspect lots of people would resent it.

[gchick]

Another vote for default to Subscribe.