While I was reading an article at The New York Times, I came across a surprising little widget–one that I hadn’t seen or heard of before.
When I read for any extended session online, I have a nervous habit of highlighting the text as I go along. In this case, I began highlighting a word, lost touch of the trackpad, and tried to recover. As I did, however, I must have double-clicked the word and up popped a new window. Before I could dismiss it, I noticed that it gave me the definition for the word I had selected. Nice.
I was surprised too, but not necessarily in a good way, since (like you) I also have a tendency to double click on the page at random places. So this behavior was both unexpected and for me, unwelcome: no user expectation management, just thrust words unceremoniously in your face.
By the way, if you highlight words in a document in OS X and I think control-click on them there will be a contextual box where one of the options is Look Up in Dictionary (and Thesaurus is also another option at that level, when you go down).
Yes, there is a little problem with expectations. As I mentioned, I was surprised when it popped up. In fact my trigger finger was set to dismiss the window — my expectation was that it would be a ad.
Interestingly enough, I doubt I’ll ever use this feature. It really doesn’t appeal to me and, as you mentioned, OSX lets me do this from any app though the Services menu.
But I will remember it, and that’s the distinction that I’d like to make. Looking back, the moment of discovery really interested me. It’s like that feature in VWs where turning the key slightly in the door will crack the windows. Expectations are great and necessary, but the hidden fun also has a place.
After further reflection, I’m quite certain this feature is–in fact–the devil. It’s quite possibly the single yet massively significant roadblock in the way toward my enjoyment of NY Times.
Oomblog is a stream of thoughts, ostensibly focused on user experience.
