Public bug reported:
In MOST graphics editing and viewing software, the spacebar usually allows you
to move the document around with the mouse relative to the window. This is a
very widespread convention and has been so for decades.
In Image Viewer, you can do that by just clicking and dragging, so it's OK that
the space bar is not needed for that, but it is a TERRIBLE idea to use it as a
shortcut for something else.
And even a worse idea is to use it as the shortcut for "load the next
file in the folder". Nobody in his right mind would expect the space bar
to do that. It's one of the most counterintuitive keyboard shortcuts
I've ever seen. And when the set of shortcuts is not supposed to be
intuitive (when there are a lot of functions for which to design a
shortcut, it's ok to give up intuitiveness and have the user learn the
shortcuts by looking at the menus), then it is common and good practice
to avoid obvious and common keys (such as the space bar), that can be
hit by mistake, for non-obvious tasks (such as load another file in the
folder).
Also, the key or key combination used for "load next file" should have
an obvious counterpart for "load previous file". So, for example, the
"pagedown" key would be a reasonable choice for "next", because you
could then have "pageup" for "previous". Or perhaps the right arrow
combined with ctrl, shift or something (not alone, because you expect
that to move the image), because its obvious counterpart for previous
would be the left arrow. The spacebar doesn't have any obvious
"opposite" key so it's intrinsically a bad candidate as a shortcut for
"next file".
So there are at least 3 reasons why the space bar is a terrible keyboard
shortcut for the action of loading the next file in the folder.
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: eog 3.10.2-0ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-29.53-generic 3.13.11.2
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-29-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Tue Jun 10 21:42:59 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-10-11 (242 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424)
SourcePackage: eog
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-05-24 (17 days ago)
** Affects: eog (Ubuntu)
Importance: Undecided
Status: New
** Tags: amd64 apport-bug trusty
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1328670
Title:
spacebar shortcut for "load next image in the folder" is a very bad
idea
Status in “eog” package in Ubuntu:
New
Bug description:
In MOST graphics editing and viewing software, the spacebar usually allows
you to move the document around with the mouse relative to the window. This is
a very widespread convention and has been so for decades.
In Image Viewer, you can do that by just clicking and dragging, so it's OK
that the space bar is not needed for that, but it is a TERRIBLE idea to use it
as a shortcut for something else.
And even a worse idea is to use it as the shortcut for "load the next
file in the folder". Nobody in his right mind would expect the space
bar to do that. It's one of the most counterintuitive keyboard
shortcuts I've ever seen. And when the set of shortcuts is not
supposed to be intuitive (when there are a lot of functions for which
to design a shortcut, it's ok to give up intuitiveness and have the
user learn the shortcuts by looking at the menus), then it is common
and good practice to avoid obvious and common keys (such as the space
bar), that can be hit by mistake, for non-obvious tasks (such as load
another file in the folder).
Also, the key or key combination used for "load next file" should have
an obvious counterpart for "load previous file". So, for example, the
"pagedown" key would be a reasonable choice for "next", because you
could then have "pageup" for "previous". Or perhaps the right arrow
combined with ctrl, shift or something (not alone, because you expect
that to move the image), because its obvious counterpart for previous
would be the left arrow. The spacebar doesn't have any obvious
"opposite" key so it's intrinsically a bad candidate as a shortcut for
"next file".
So there are at least 3 reasons why the space bar is a terrible
keyboard shortcut for the action of loading the next file in the
folder.
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: eog 3.10.2-0ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-29.53-generic 3.13.11.2
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-29-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Tue Jun 10 21:42:59 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-10-11 (242 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424)
SourcePackage: eog
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-05-24 (17 days ago)
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