29 August 2013, 15:59

Hello,

Looking at the wording we have for a text box, we still use both: "Text box" and "Note". It's a text box on a page as a block, but under "Content" it is "Notes". I think it might be better if we go for one or the other name instead of using both interchangeably and assume that people know that a text box is a note.

I would go with "Note", but am wondering what others think before we change anything.

Cheers

Kristina

 

29 August 2013, 17:46

Here's my suggestion:

• The block: Text block.
• The artefact: Text snippet.

I really like the phrase "Text block", or maybe even just "Text", for the block, because it's the only way you can just put some text onto a Mahara page. I wind up using them on just about every Mahara page I make! Actually I'd like to see them moved to the first pallet on the editing page rather than hidden away under General, but that's a different story. ;)

Anyway, if we keep calling the block "Text block", then calling the artefact "Text snippet" helps to emphasize the unity of the two things, because it has the word "Text" both places. Although I suppose the word "snippet" implies that it has to be short, which is incorrect, it can be any length.

Cheers,

Aaron

29 August 2013, 18:06

I suggest to call it "text"- no matter if it's a blocktype or a note.
I furthermore suggest to place it at the most prominent area of the blocktypes (first folder, first in row). I would love to be able to change the sortorder of blocktypes and/or put my mostly used ones in a favorite-folder.

Because I think any name with the keyword text in it, suggests the right useage, I will vote for textbox

29 August 2013, 22:24

My vote is:

• New (Text) Note
• Archived (Text) Note

Perhaps make these separate blocks on a page, to make it clearer that one is an artefact and one is ad hoc?

I agree about the clarity of using the word Text, but it does add to clutter and the term Note does imply text. Block is a slightly nerdy term, in my mind.

BTW: Are we considering making the archiving of Text Notes optional, ie not every text note becomes an artefact? I now have over 620 in my eportfolio...

30 August 2013, 7:57

Hello Don, Christian and Aaron,

We are not changing the behavior of the text box / note for Mahara 1.8.

Christian: I like your idea of just saying "Text" for the block, but not so much for the "Notes" that are archived. There are a couple of places around Mahara where "Text" is (going to be) used:

• tag search: though that is really only text box
• fulltext search (coming in 1.8): There "Text" can mean any sort of text like text box and also journal entries as opposed to "Media" which are images, audio, video

As for "snippet", this often doesn't fit the bill. Notes is still often closer I think.

Cheers

Kristina

 

30 August 2013, 12:09

I propose:

1. Stick with the current wording for 1.8

2. For 1.9, split it into two blocks: The Text block for one-off text that doesn't need to be stored and reused as an artefact; and the Note block, for reusable Note artefacts.

3. Also for 1.9, add proper create/update/delete functionality for Notes on the Note list page, so they feel more like first-class artefacts.

My problem with changing the Text Block to the Note Block is that it would confuse new users who just want to put some text on their Page. If we change the name of the Text Block, we need the name to be something that will be obvious to a new user who is trying to create a web page in Mahara and wants to put some text on that page.

Cheers,

Aaron

30 August 2013, 14:31

Hi all,

Aaron's approach sounds sensible to me and also giving it two different terms. Whether it'll be in 1.9 or not will depend on whether we can get funding to implement this feature.

Cheers

Kristina

 

30 August 2013, 11:43

Hi Don,

There's a wishlist bug for making it so that every Text Block doesn't have to create an immortal Note artefact: https://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/1152441 . But we didn't have time to implement that for 1.8.

I rather like the idea of implementing this by splitting it into two separate blocks -- one called just like "Text", with the implication that you're just putting some text into the Page; and the other called "Note" and showing a picker for your Note artefacts. Then we avoid further checkbox clutter on the block config screen (although with the tradeoff of one icon more cluttering up the block pallet).

Cheers,

Aaron

30 August 2013, 19:49

Hi everyone,

I have read last Aaron's message in the tracker echoing the one above. I say +1 for the idea of having too different blocks of text. One static on a page and one dynamic considered as an aterfact with possibility of providing comment, keywords, etc.

Cheers,

-dajan

31 August 2013, 0:02

Encore +1 from me...a tidy solution.