Focus Theft

Purpose

Focus Theft is a blog meant to improve user interfaces everywhere by several means:

• locating and studying specific existing user interface flaws and improvements;
• gathering good existing user interface guidelines and defining new ones;
• proposing improvements to existing software; and
• providing a public place of protest where users of flawed software may exert pressure on stubborn developers to make these improvements.

Contact me with your descriptions of inspiring and infuriating user interfaces, and I will post them!

About the name “Focus Theft”

Have you ever sent someone part of an instant message by mistake because their window popped up over the window you were using?

“Focus”, in the context of software, is “where your input is going”—something we should all be in 100% control of at all times. Focus theft occurs when one piece of software asks the underlying system to give it your focus, and the system stupidly complies—without waiting for you to finish what you’re doing; without even warning you. Imagine talking to Jane, when John suddenly bursts into the room and interjects a question in the middle of your sentence. Imagine writing something at your desk when someone suddenly inserts their own piece of paper under your pen as you hold it. Would you be angry? Or would you blame yourself for not seeing these things coming?

The ability of software to steal focus is just one common example of a user interface flaw. In fact, much of modern software is littered with flaws that waste our time and bring us headaches. Unfortunately, most people will become frustrated with themselves when a poor interface causes them to make a mistake that was not their fault—a mistake that perhaps hundreds or thousands of others are making, and will continue to make, until the interface is fixed by its developer.

I have seen many noble developers who do care enough to put their time into making their interfaces the best they can. In their wake, I have seen a lot of fantastic software. I applaud these people, and call for all developers to exhibit this kind of spirit. However, I have seen software with such long-standing and severe flaws that its developers seemingly don’t care about souls, and are willing ignore such problems indefinitely.