[thelist] Opening the users default Mp3 player

Jonathon Isaac Swiderski jswiders at cs.oberlin.edu
Mon Jun 17 10:16:00 CDT 2002


   From: "Paul Backhouse" <paul.backhouse at 2cs.com>
   Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2002 15:46:14 +0100

   Rare - you serious - so theres no way - what if i just open it into a new
   target - would that work?

probably not.  most likely that'll just open a new window before whatever's
supposed to happen, happens.

   As for *should* it be done - hmmm - yes - the user has shown an interest in
   listening to an Mp3 then should that user have to faff about getting an Mp3
   player open and then getting the song? Or should the user just simpply click
   on the song which then automatically opens the default player with the song.

What if I, the user, don't want to listen to it straightaway?  what if I just
want to save it, and listen to it later, maybe, or save it to me nifty new
cd/mp3 player, so I can go jogging with it.  The point is, don't assume that
just because they want to download it, they want to listen to it straight off.

Also, the default player on the machine may not be *their* default player.  I
don't listen to MP3s much at work, but when someone else who used the same
machine I do wanted to listen to online radio, he installed RealAudio, or
whatever they're calling it now, which now grabs CDs when I put them in (I'd
rather use the builtin CD player).  What if I want to listen to MP3s in WinAmp,
but my coworker or labmate uses Real?  Your way, I not only have to open the
file in WinAmp, I have to stop it in Real and close that first.

   b) don't know how to use it therefore automatically opening the song for
   them would be ideal.

Dont assume your users are stupid.  I can tell you there's little that gets me
madder than people assuming I don't know or can't figure out something; and most
people I know are pretty similar.  Giving users basic instructions is one thing;
but don't try to do things for them.

--
Jonathon Isaac Swiderski       jswiders at cs.oberlin.edu
cs.oberlin.edu/~jswiders \\ members.evolt.org/jswiders

 "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried
 anything new."                    -- Albert Einstein



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