Slashdot Mirror
Refresh Is Sacred (tbray.org)
Several Slashdot readers share a blog post: There are two kinds of client applications: The first kind has a "refresh" or "reload" button to make sure your app's in sync with its server's view of the world. The second kind is broken. Of late, I have to deal regularly with several apps, notably including an emailer and car-sharing service, that lack such a button. I can imagine why -- a customer focused product manager said "Steve Jobs taught us that fewer controls are better and we should just take care of making sure we're in sync with the cloud. So lose the button. Except, it doesn't work. Apparently nobody in the world is smart enough to arrange flawlessly reliable hands-off client/cloud synchronization. There are times when you just know that what you're seeing on the screen is wrong and if the stupid app would just assume everything it knows is wrong and ask for a brain transplant from its server, things would be OK.
and Don Norman, who has something to say on the matter.
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
On a full-featured PC I would agree, but on something with a small screen where every function takes up an inordinate amount of that screen (ie a smartphone that has a UI large enough that a human finger can use) it makes sense to use a model that lacks a dedicated button for the function.
Like everything it's a compromise. Google's gmail application on Android uses this kind of refresh and it wasn't exactly difficult to accidentally trigger the first time and then subsequently continue using when it became apparent.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.