4 ms·

> I don't want any text to be selectable Disabling text selection is not just worse UX, it is actively user-hostile

divan 1y ago
In Photoshop panels, title (like "Layers") are not selectable. How is it worse UX or user-hostile?
crazygringo 1y ago
I have literally never needed to select text in a UX element. In the past, occasionally there would be an error message in a message box dialog that I wanted to copy and paste. And then I discovered that despite it not looking selectable, it actually was. I don't want to accidentally select the text of my menu bar, or of a text box label, or a dialog tab title.
- sitkack 1y ago
  I, I, I. Empathy is a weakness. Lots of limitations for you to not accidentally do something, maybe there is a way to not accidentally do those things and also help people that need them.
  - crazygringo 1y ago
    No, not providing concrete examples is a weakness. You're awfully arrogant in making a judgement about my empathy... if you want to make this personal. Or maybe you can justify why people need to be able to select menu labels in the first place? That's not standard on any OS I've ever used, so it's up to the person who wants to change things to justify why. Maybe be less judgmental of people here on HN, and contribute something factual instead? I at least gave a factual account of my personal experience, which is a data point. Describing one's experience isn't egoism.
    - nazgul17 1y ago
      A simple and concrete example is, go to Japan, find yourself in need of using any Japanese-only app, be extremely frustrated in not even being able to select text to translate it. At least in recent versions of Android there is that OCR (?) powered functionality to select text when you're in switch-app view.
      - crazygringo 1y ago
        Thank you for the example! I would suggest that these days you'd be much better off taking a screenshot and putting that into Google Translate. That way all the text remains in-place, and you can keep it as a visual reference to refer to. If you were selecting text, it would wind up in a kind of jumble that would be much harder to use.
      - umbra07 1y ago
        Circle to Search can translate everything on your screen without you needing to go through the whole "copy text, open Translate, paste, switch back to app" workflow. You just hold the home button, then press the translate button.
IshKebab 1y ago
It's worse on desktop. On mobile it just leads to accidental selection when you were trying to do something else.

In Photoshop panels, title (like "Layers") are not selectable. How is it worse UX or user-hostile?

I have literally never needed to select text in a UX element. In the past, occasionally there would be an error message in a message box dialog that I wanted to copy and paste. And then I discovered that despite it not looking selectable, it actually was. I don't want to accidentally select the text of my menu bar, or of a text box label, or a dialog tab title.

sitkack 1y ago
I, I, I. Empathy is a weakness. Lots of limitations for you to not accidentally do something, maybe there is a way to not accidentally do those things and also help people that need them.
- crazygringo 1y ago
  No, not providing concrete examples is a weakness. You're awfully arrogant in making a judgement about my empathy... if you want to make this personal. Or maybe you can justify why people need to be able to select menu labels in the first place? That's not standard on any OS I've ever used, so it's up to the person who wants to change things to justify why. Maybe be less judgmental of people here on HN, and contribute something factual instead? I at least gave a factual account of my personal experience, which is a data point. Describing one's experience isn't egoism.
  - nazgul17 1y ago
    A simple and concrete example is, go to Japan, find yourself in need of using any Japanese-only app, be extremely frustrated in not even being able to select text to translate it. At least in recent versions of Android there is that OCR (?) powered functionality to select text when you're in switch-app view.
    - crazygringo 1y ago
      Thank you for the example! I would suggest that these days you'd be much better off taking a screenshot and putting that into Google Translate. That way all the text remains in-place, and you can keep it as a visual reference to refer to. If you were selecting text, it would wind up in a kind of jumble that would be much harder to use.
    - umbra07 1y ago
      Circle to Search can translate everything on your screen without you needing to go through the whole "copy text, open Translate, paste, switch back to app" workflow. You just hold the home button, then press the translate button.

IshKebab 1y ago

It's worse on desktop. On mobile it just leads to accidental selection when you were trying to do something else.