A plea for 3.10

Its true mouseOverForKeyboardFocus isn't how "everyone else" (whomever
that may be :) does it and therefore feels unnatural to many
experienced computer users, including me.. at first.  However after
tolerating Squeaks "weirdness" for a while, I soon appreciated how
simple, consistent, and efficient it is.

mouseOver-for-focus can also be called "point-and-play".  That's how a
novice can "learn to how to use Squeak".

        INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO USE SQUEAK
                1) point the mouse to whatever object interests you
                2) press a button or buttons (on either the mouse or keyboard) to
manipulate the object

That's it.  No exceptions.

What "everyone else" wants is "clickForKeyboardFocus" meaning, the only
way to change focus, is to click somewhere.

This creates ambiguity for what clicking does, sometimes it manipulates
the UI, sometimes it simply shifts keyboard focus (but only if you're
careful not to accidently click-activate the surrounding widgetry, so
the user is laboring just to switch focus).

With mouseOver-for-focus, the hand indicates where focus is.  It's not
always obvious with click-For-Focus, the user must remember where he
was or stop and ask himself, "where am I?" scanning the screen for
visual-signs (which vary by widget) of where focus is.  So here's
another case where the user is laboring for the UI instead of
vice-versa.

Mouse-over-for-focus just plain gets more done for less physical
effort.  For example, to search a list, you could simply move the
pointer over the list and start typing.  No Control or Alt modifier
needed.  Click-for-focus cannot match that.

Less mental effort, less physical effort.

Whew, I could keep going but that's plenty enough isn't it?  Why do I
go through all this trouble to type this up advocating this position?
Because I care, and this position continues to need an advocate.  When
it comes to basic operations like focus and text-editing, we are
connected to Squeak at a lower level.  These operational manipulations
are __ingrained into our cerebellum__, so changing them from one Squeak
version requires cataclysmic biological reprogramming for some of us.
Losing "selectionsMayShrink" in 3.9 was a casualty I will miss dearly,
and, sadly, a sign (to me) that Squeaks superior UI is slowly eroding
for no good reason (i.e., losing it didn't bring newbies to Squeak in
droves).  Thank goodness still for #mouseOverForKeyboardFocus and I can
still set #wordStyleCursorMovement off.

I implore for 3.10 to be more conservative about removing these sort of
low-level operational details.  Both sides can have what mostly what
they want via preference settings, so we can all connect and interact
with Squeak in the way that is most natural to each individual..

Thank you,
  Chris

+1

I support this

>Its true mouseOverForKeyboardFocus isn't how "everyone else"
(whomever
>that may be :) does it and therefore feels unnatural to many
>experienced computer users, including me.. at first.  However
after
>tolerating Squeaks "weirdness" for a while, I soon appreciated
how
>simple, consistent, and efficient it is.
>
>mouseOver-for-focus can also be called "point-and-play".
That's how a
>novice can "learn to how to use Squeak".
>
>   INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO USE SQUEAK
>       1) point the mouse to whatever object interests you
>       2) press a button or buttons (on either the mouse or
keyboard)
>to
>manipulate the object
>
>That's it.  No exceptions.
>
>What "everyone else" wants is "clickForKeyboardFocus" meaning,
the only
>way to change focus, is to click somewhere.
>
>This creates ambiguity for what clicking does, sometimes it
manipulates
>the UI, sometimes it simply shifts keyboard focus (but only if
you're
>careful not to accidently click-activate the surrounding widgetry,
so
>the user is laboring just to switch focus).
>
>With mouseOver-for-focus, the hand indicates where focus is.
It's not
>always obvious with click-For-Focus, the user must remember
where he
>was or stop and ask himself, "where am I?" scanning the screen
for
>visual-signs (which vary by widget) of where focus is.  So here's
>another case where the user is laboring for the UI instead of
>vice-versa.
>
>Mouse-over-for-focus just plain gets more done for less
physical
>effort.  For example, to search a list, you could simply move the
>pointer over the list and start typing.  No Control or Alt modifier
>needed.  Click-for-focus cannot match that.
>
>Less mental effort, less physical effort.
>
>Whew, I could keep going but that's plenty enough isn't it?  Why
do I
>go through all this trouble to type this up advocating this
position?
>Because I care, and this position continues to need an advocate.
When
>it comes to basic operations like focus and text-editing, we are
>connected to Squeak at a lower level.  These operational
manipulations
>are __ingrained into our cerebellum__, so changing them from
one Squeak
>version requires cataclysmic biological reprogramming for some
of us.
>Losing "selectionsMayShrink" in 3.9 was a casualty I will miss
dearly,
>and, sadly, a sign (to me) that Squeaks superior UI is slowly
eroding
>for no good reason (i.e., losing it didn't bring newbies to Squeak
in
>droves).  Thank goodness still for #mouseOverForKeyboardFocus
and I can
>still set #wordStyleCursorMovement off.
>
>I implore for 3.10 to be more conservative about removing these
sort of
>low-level operational details.  Both sides can have what mostly
what
>they want via preference settings, so we can all connect and
interact
>with Squeak in the way that is most natural to each individual..
>
>Thank you,
>  Chris