[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #27159: Removing TinyMCE buttons to improve user experience

[WordPress Trac]

#27159: Removing TinyMCE buttons to improve user experience
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 Reporter:  hugobaeta    |       Owner:  hugobaeta
     Type:  enhancement  |      Status:  assigned
 Priority:  normal       |   Milestone:  4.7
Component:  TinyMCE      |     Version:  3.8
 Severity:  normal       |  Resolution:
 Keywords:               |     Focuses:  ui, administration
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Comment (by hugobaeta):

 Replying to [comment:98 azaozz]:
 > As far as I've seen the align-center button is the third most used
 button in the editor, after bold and link. (...)
 > For the UX it doesn't matter how it works or what kind of HTML it
 generates. (...)
 > So the options are to either keep the alignment buttons where they are
 or separate the align-center button and move align-right and align-left to
 the second row. (...)

 The thing is, the user experience issue here is that we're giving the user
 rope for them to hang themselves (as we say in Portugal). Why should we
 encourage something bad? And aside from that, how do you know align-center
 is the third most used button - and most importantly, if that's true,
 '''why'''?

 This decision is not to remove the align buttons, it's to move them out of
 sight in the hopes that new users don't fall on the same mistakes as
 seasoned ones.

 > I'd rather not remove `underline` but replace it with `mark`. Think
 better to use #38315 for that.

 Again, we're mixing scopes: this ticket is about removing buttons who
 generate un-semantic code, that we consider ok to remove. `Underline` is
 the perfect example of that. So lets keep the removal on this ticket, and
 leave `<mark>` for the other.

 > Patch is very easy to make. But generally removing things or moving
 things around doesn't improve UX. We need to clearly prove the UX is
 better after rearranging the buttons. That's what is missing :)

 @celloexpressions said it all in his comment above. There is no specific
 quantitative measure for UX in this ticket - we're making decisions to
 help users make better decisions. How you can test that without bias is
 beyond me. @karmatosed - do you have any thoughts?

 I'd REALLY like to see this go in 4.7, and that means we need some
 consensus by tomorrow, before core chat, at the latest.

 I still think there's HUGE value in a lot of what is being discussed here,
 and I don't mind compromising further if absolutely needed. So, here's
 another compromise:

 Absolutely must for 4.7:

 - move formatselect to first position on top row and remove Heading 1.
 - remove `alignjustify`
 - remove `underline`

 Would be nice:

 - move the alignleft, aligncenter, and alignright to the kitchen sink


 Can we please at least commit a patch with the first three?

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/27159#comment:104>
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