Control Confusion

6 Comments

• I think it is because server controls aren't looked at/thought of the same way as a program. The Start Menu, for the most part, is how you get to programs you want to start. Looking for documentation for a control on the start menu didn't cross my mind at first.
  
  It didn't take long for me to check there, though. If you follow the though process to any logical conclusion, the Start Menu would be on the places you would check.
  

• I also don't like the practice of nesting start menu items under a company name. I think that probably makes it harder to find (if the user doesn't have the XP "highlight new items" feature enabled). Let the user manage their own start menu hiearachies.
  
  
  
  Start|Programs|ScrollingGrid1.1 would be more obvious.
  
  
  
  Of course, you're probably doing it for branding, get-our-name-out-there reasons, which may be more important.
  

• Josh, it canm also be a matter of personal preference. For Example, I hate that Adobe products always shove all their crap in the root. I would like it much more if they instead did "Start|Programs|Adobe|Photoshop et al." We put it under the company name because we figure we're going to have 20 or so control when we're done, and we want them to be organized without killing the Start Menu.
  

• If I'm installing a development tool - especially a "small" one - not only do I not expect the docs to be on my start menu, I absolutely do not want them to be there. If they *are* there, and they're nested under a company name, that just annoys me even more. It's sometimes hard enough to remember the name of the product itself to find it on the menus - there's little hope I'll remember the company name. Again, this is mostly for the "smaller" products - addons, single controls, etc... If I install a development package from Xceed or someone like that, then all bets are off. There's a dozen controls and a dozen doc files, so go ahead with the start menu.
  
  
  
  In your case, Robert, if I were installing a product from Interscape I would hope that during install I would be asked if I wanted something added to my start menu, and a little detail as to what exactly the installer plans to put there if I agree to it so I can make a more informed choice.
  
  
  
  As for Josh's comment with regard to branding and that being "more important", I whole-heartedly disagree. I'm the customer. It's my menu. Don't try to tell me mucking with my start menu to "get your name out there" is more important than doing whatever it is that *I* prefer you to do.
  
  
  
  Then again, if the product rocks I won't really care what you did to my menu. ;)
  

• Geez...just realized how long a comment that was in relation to the original post. I don't blog often, so I gotta get my opinions out where I can. :)
  

• As long as you give the users an option of where to store the shortcuts, I don't have a problem with putting them in the Start menu. I put a lot of generic stuff in a foldef called 'Utilities' under the Start menu. So, all I do is jsut change the path when the setup app asks me.