Difference between revisions of "Help Agent"
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* [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=74677 bug 74677], "Help Agent should only pop up once per tip" | * [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=74677 bug 74677], "Help Agent should only pop up once per tip" | ||
| − | * [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=74678 bug 74678], "Help Agent should be shrunk and only appear in statusbar, so as to | + | * [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=74678 bug 74678], "Help Agent should be shrunk and only appear in statusbar, so as to distract users less" |
| − | distract users less" | + | * [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=74679 bug 74679], "Help Agent should not trigger when the user types a quotation mark (") in Writer." |
| − | * [http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=74679 bug 74679], "Help Agent should not trigger when the user types a quotation mark | + | |
| − | (") in Writer." | + | |
* [http://specs.openoffice.org/appwide/menus/HelpMenu.sxw Help Agent specification] - includes user scenarios, goals, diagrams, etc. (.sxw format) | * [http://specs.openoffice.org/appwide/menus/HelpMenu.sxw Help Agent specification] - includes user scenarios, goals, diagrams, etc. (.sxw format) | ||
Revision as of 23:48, 19 February 2007
The Help Agent is a small window that opens automatically in the lower right corner of the OOo document window. It generally shows an image of a light bulb.
A list of events that call the Help Agent is defined in the file SFX.xcu in the directory share/registry/data/org/openoffice/Office. This file is not part of the helpcontent2 module.
There is a request for enhancement to remove the Help Agent. See http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=53114
This may be because usability research revealed this typical user behaviour pattern:
1. A user writes some text in Writer, starting with a lower case letter.
2. The automatic AutoCorrect feature converts the lower case character to upper case.
3. This is one of the events that trigger the Help Agent, which now shows in the lower right corner.
4. User tells "What the heck happened here? It converted my character. How can I get rid of this automatism?"
5. At the same time the user clicks away the Help Agent.
The Help Agent, when clicked in the window, not at the closer, would just have answered the user's questions. But then...
You can permanently disable the Help Agent on the Tools - Options - OOo - General dialog. The Help Agent is disabled automatically for a certain event when you close it or don't pay notice three consecutive times for this event. The list of events for which the Help Agent will no more show up automatically can be reset on the same dialog page.
Why the Help Agent is bad
- Because it is a popup window, it is annoying.
- It also brings back bad memories of the animated paperclip in Microsoft Word 97 and 2000.
External links
- bug 74677, "Help Agent should only pop up once per tip"
- bug 74678, "Help Agent should be shrunk and only appear in statusbar, so as to distract users less"
- bug 74679, "Help Agent should not trigger when the user types a quotation mark (") in Writer."
- Help Agent specification - includes user scenarios, goals, diagrams, etc. (.sxw format)
