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#1 25 Jan 2007 3:05 pm

MadHatter
Administrator
From: Dallas TX
Registered: Jun 2006
Posts: 529
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RANT: I hate balloon tool tips!!!!

you install windows, log in for the first time, and are presented with objects which serve no purpose but to exist (and annoy).  There's the "Hey, you must be an idiot... this type of windows has been around since 1995, but I'm sure you didn't A) pay attention to the damn install messages that told you what was new in THIS version of windows, b) have been hiding under a rock since 1994, and therefore are unfamiliar with anything beyond Windows 3.1"

Once that annoyance has been taken care of (by a reboot), you get this ever so annoying little yellow comic book bubble in the lower corner of your screen telling you to do something.  IF YOU DON'T PHYSICALLY CLICK THE [X], IT WILL STAY THERE FOREVER!!!!!  "You need to activate windows!"  So, lets put another bubble in the corner of your window to tell you that...  simply not activating windows within a month is not enough warning (you simply cant log in or use your operating system), but thats not enough, they have to put that little balloon on your desktop that wont go away.

As a developer I can understand the "WOW" factor of using microsoft like things in your application.  folks who make Office UI elements rake in the cash by imitating microsoft's style so idiot developer can make his application look like Outlook. But all things in moderation...

Instead of using balloon tool tips, if I ever have the need to use one of these bad boys, I'm going to use a full screen window (which will span the expanse of every monitor plugged into the computer) which will block every keystroke which may be used to ignore my notification and hijack the computer until the user acknowledges my notification (which by the way will be very insignificant, like "TODAY IS TUESDAY!"


I cant think of one good reason to use a balloon tool tip.  They are pure evil, a spawn of the devil, used to torment mankind and start wars...

If you develop software, and purposely add these beasts to your software, you should be dragged out into the street, and hung, then shot, then burned alive!


please die:

  • windows update
  • xfire
  • avast antivirus (though theirs isnt a balloon, it is there, and has no way to close it for 15 minutes unless you click on it which opens your browser to tell you information that you could care less about)
  • windows activation
  • outlook (when minimized to the tray, and you double click it, if it cant open up right away it will display a balloon telling you its busy...)
  • visual studio (same as outlook, and in 2005 if you create a web services app, it will open up an independent server and opens a balloon to tell you that... as if you werent the one who hit RUN)
  • this space is reserved for others that I cant think of off the top of my head
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    #2 26 Jan 2007 5:28 am

    Butcher
    Moderator
    From: Norway
    Registered: Jul 2006
    Posts: 308

    Re: RANT: I hate balloon tool tips!!!!

    Agreed, most annoying thing about the computer. Wonder if it can be disabled somewhere, like kill a file in the Windows folder, lol.


    http://bamboocommandos.com/butcher_img/butchersig7.jpg

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    #3 26 Jan 2007 8:20 am

    MadHatter
    Administrator
    From: Dallas TX
    Registered: Jun 2006
    Posts: 529
    Website

    Re: RANT: I hate balloon tool tips!!!!

    hehe yea, that would be a patched version of the operating system kernel, shell32.dll and user32.dll... kind of important files big_smile

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    #4 26 Jan 2007 8:59 am

    Butcher
    Moderator
    From: Norway
    Registered: Jul 2006
    Posts: 308

    Re: RANT: I hate balloon tool tips!!!!

    Hmmm, maybe if we made them "unimportant", hehehehhe. Must be some sort of statement within them that forces the balloons.


    http://bamboocommandos.com/butcher_img/butchersig7.jpg

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    #5 09 Jan 2008 9:04 am

    Rogier
    New Member
    From: The Netherlands - Leek
    Registered: Jan 2008
    Posts: 3
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    Re: RANT: I hate balloon tool tips!!!!

    I fully agree!
    But what is wrong with Xfire? roll smile

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    #6 09 Jan 2008 9:26 am

    Butcher
    Moderator
    From: Norway
    Registered: Jul 2006
    Posts: 308

    Re: RANT: I hate balloon tool tips!!!!

    What isn't wrong with XFire? It's like play electric guitar through a computer, it distorts everything whilst burning up internal parts, and the sound that comes out says "we patch this program every day!".


    http://bamboocommandos.com/butcher_img/butchersig7.jpg

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    #7 09 Jan 2008 3:03 pm

    MadHatter
    Administrator
    From: Dallas TX
    Registered: Jun 2006
    Posts: 529
    Website

    Re: RANT: I hate balloon tool tips!!!!

    Rogier :

    I fully agree!
    But what is wrong with Xfire? roll smile

    I actually really like xfire, I was just listing programs that use the balloon thing though.

    at least xfire pops it up within the area of the system tray, which is much less annoying than windows update.

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