[wp-hackers] Usability Expert Review

[Jeff Minard]

Ron Guerin wrote:
> * Differentiate links that provide access to help content.
>   Instead of linking the text of field labels, place a
>   hyperlinked question mark either after the label or after the
>   field (e.g. “(?)”. This makes the purpose of the link clear.
> 
> Actually, I think that change would only add confusion, not reduce it, 
> by appearing to be a standard "Add page to Wiki" link.  Wiki is not the 
> obscure thing it once was, and is becoming less so rather quickly.

Actually, I can see the usefulness of having things lead to help 
sections. EG:

Post Title (?)
-----------------------------------
|                                 |
-----------------------------------

Post Excerpt {?}
-----------------------------------
|                                 |
-----------------------------------

The (?) being a link to the appropriate help page. This implementation 
is very clear and quite obvious what's going to happen when you click.

However, even this excellent solution will quite quickly clutter the 
page up with a lot of ugly little question mark links.

Perhaps something like "Nifty-titles.js" could be employed to create 
tooltips for inline help. Something along those lines then - would allow 
new users to get a quick "what's what" on the page by hovering elements, 
but wouldn't clutter the page up for more advanced users.

Jeff