Comments on: Please Wait…

By: Christine

Christine — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 06:06:57 +0000

I agree that a threshold should be used to determine whether or not to use a load symbol/animation, or a progress bar.

However, with the exception of a page or information loading on the web, I think it makes the most sense to give the user an upfront estimated time to finish the task, let the user go about their work, and alert them when the task is finished.

Compare Internet Explorer’s download vs. Google Chrome’s download. Internet Explorer uses a separate window with a progress bar to show you what you’re downloading. Oh, and they’ll show you a separate window for every single download.

Google Chrome, on the other hand, keeps the download progress small, out of your face, and within the context of the download (within that tab). All of the downloads are placed within the little “download panel/area”. When the download’s done, the file icon changes appropriately. And for kicks and giggles you can access the history of your downloads from that same “download panel/area” (and re-download if you misplaced the file for some reason).

P.S. I’m procrastinating right now. So I’m commenting on your blog mang ;)

By: Cliff

Cliff — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:56:00 +0000

I find the inaccuracies of “loading symbols” and “progress bars” to be VERY frustrating. It is not uncommon for me to wonder if something really is working (or is it stuck in a “loop”?) or how long something is going to take. Obviously, or at least it should be obvious to programmers/developers, that we don’t need progress bars that have millisecond accuracy. But it would be nice to have a progress bar that gives a realistic “ballpark” figure of how long something is going to take and not just take 2 mins to get to 99% and then another 25 mins to finish. Besides, the creative people could enjoy making cool looking progress bars so the waiting can be “entertaining”! lol

By: epynephrin

epynephrin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:46:16 +0000

While a Progress bar is definitely not going to make or break a project’s reception, it is a simple and nice way to let the user know that someone actually cares about them. Sitting, watching a progress bar for hours, wondering if it’s doing anything, not necessarily the highlight of my day.

By: TWD

TWD — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:26:27 +0000

Unfortunately the progress bar will always be a casualty of the development process. The most important thing is to get a software product released on time. In most cases people just use the code that is already out there, and that probably won’t ever change. The progress bar’s job is to let the user know that the system is still working. Anything beyond that is usually going to be seen as a waste of resources.

By: Alex B,

Alex B, — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:02:34 +0000

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