SUMMARY I suppose that the Selection Mode might be a very handy and useful for someone, but not for me. Moreover, it tries to get out every chance it gets: pressing Space/F2/Ctrl+C/Ctrl+X/Del constantly opens it, which is annoying and prevents me from working normally. Also, the Space key I used to use to toggle the selection of items, but now this key is used to open the Selection Mode: before 22.12.1 it was a keyboard shortcut that I could disable, but now it's hardcoded and there's nothing I can do about it. This breaks my user experience and violates one of the main advantages of Dolphin: its customizability. The only solution I see is to make the Selection Mode optional. Ideally, it would be great to move it to a separate plugin that can be enabled/disabled. I don't know how it's technically possible/difficult to implement. Another way is to simply add an option to enable/disable the Selection Mode in the Dolphin settings. IMO the second way is very easy to implement, and also adding one more option will not make the settings messy, but will make it much easier to use Dolphin for users like me. As for using the Space key as a keyboard shortcut: the Space key is a "basic" key (like Enter, Escape, etc.) and should not be used for keyboard shortcuts unless the user has explicitly set it. I also did two polls on reddit regarding the Selection Mode and the results should be of interest to you: https://www.reddit.com/r/kde/comments/10tm5jz/do_you_use_selection_mode_in_dolphin/ https://www.reddit.com/r/kde/comments/10tovgu/spacebar_behavior_in_dolphin/
Let's focus on the problems you face due to Selection Mode's existence even when you're not using it, rather than rushing to propose a solution. The problem statement I see is this: > it tries to get out every chance it gets: pressing Space/F2/Ctrl+C/Ctrl+X/Del constantly opens > it, which is annoying and prevents me from working normally. Also, the Space key I used to use > to toggle the selection of items, but now this key is used to open the Selection Mode: before > 22.12.1 it was a keyboard shortcut that I could disable but now it's hardcoded and there's > nothing I can do about it. So you're annoyed by two things: 1. Selection mode gets invoked when you cut, copy, or rename with nothing selected 2. You can't use the spacebar to select an item when nothing is selected anymore Is that accurate?
> 1. Selection mode gets invoked when you cut, copy, or rename with nothing > selected And also when deleting, everything else is correct. There are users who like the current behavior, there are those who don't. IMO adding an option in the settings (e.g. General > Miscellaneous) to allow the user to explicitly make their choice is the most optimal solution in this case. Additionally, I was interested in this comment (https://www.reddit.com/r/kde/comments/10tm5jz/comment/j790r6q/?context=3): > Although i really dislike the way it activates (tapping and holding a file/folder), > because it also triggers the usual long tap equals right click behavior is triggered > alongside and immediately shows the "Copy here" menu. I would prefer if it > only activated with an icon in the toolbar or something. I thought it would be great to have a separate page for configuring the selection mode, but I'm sure you would never go for that.
I am against this because we have no reason to assume that this would be an improvement. On the contrary, we have to assume that most users will be happy about having the space key trigger a mac-like QuickLook feature instead (which is also triggered with Space on Mac AFAIK). Until that feature is implemented, the Space key can be used to instead toggle the selection mode. There is also no reason to assume that many users are annoyed by keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+C or Ctrl+X triggering the selection mode, because this used to have no effect when no item is selected, which is equally if not more confusing than showing a bar that asks them what items they were trying to act on. Now to the reddit polls. Even if we ignore that reddit isn't representative of our user base at all and might vote against their best interest: >https://www.reddit.com/r/kde/comments/10tm5jz/do_you_use_selection_mode_in_dolphin/ A poll showing that 2/3 aren't using selection mode is useless because the feature hasn't arrived at the majority of our user base yet. It is also a new and completely optional feature so there is no reason to assume users that will use it eventually have already started using. >https://www.reddit.com/r/kde/comments/10tovgu/spacebar_behavior_in_dolphin/ This poll is useless because it claims that the Space key used to toggle the selection, but that never was the case. It only ever selected the current item. >I'm sure you would never go for that. I would also consider marking Popov's bug reports as "WORKS FOR ME" because of passive aggressive comments like this or in https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=463048. I also didn't see him getting persuaded by anything yet which makes me think that he will keep arguing in favour of whatever he is proposing no matter if it is factually in the best interest of our users/software or not.
> On the contrary, we have to assume that most users will be happy about having the space key trigger a mac-like QuickLook feature instead Why would you think that? Have you done any survey/research on this? > which is equally if not more confusing than showing a bar that asks them what items they were trying to act on. As I already said, I don't need to use this Selection Mode. What problems does it solve? None. Does it improve the work with files? It doesn't. As one user pointed out perfectly in a comment: > I have no problem with selecting what I want to be selected without it. When it opens, I keep feeling like I pressed the wrong key. It's as annoying as Microsoft's full-screen prompt to upgrade to Windows 11:) > is useless > is useless The only useless thing is your belief that you really know what users want. I filed a new bug report to talk to someone other than you., so please refrain from commenting for now.
popov895, these are is an unacceptable ways of communicating and behaving. Intentionally filing a new bug report just because you don't like the responses you got here is abuse of our bug tracking system, and if you persist in these behaviors, I'll disable your Bugzilla account. So cut it out immediately.
Hmm, that bug report was that pressing the space bar opens Selection Mode., this one is about making Selection Mode optional. But okay, please, disable my account.
> > is useless > > is useless > > The only useless thing is your belief that you really know what users want. You are literally ignoring my arguments while imputing that I was holding a belief without reason. (Except from being rude once more) this is what I meant with "I also didn't see him getting persuaded by anything yet which makes me think that he will keep arguing in favour of whatever he is proposing no matter if it is factually in the best interest of our users/software or not." above. I don't think discussing anything with you can ever be constructive like this. Don't be surprised when your actions don't lead anywhere this way.
Okay, let's try to make our discussion constructive. Please answer a few questions: 1. Why did you decide that users want to open Selection Mode instead of selecting the current item when pressing the spacebar? 2. Why did you decide to hardcode opening Selection Mode by pressing the spacebar when there was already a keyboard shortcut for that? 3. Have you done any survey/research on whether users like/dislike opening Selection Mode by pressing spacebar and F2/Del/Ctrl+C/... when no items are selected?
There is no point. I have literally exhaustively answered you question number 2 last week in https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=463048, and yet here we are again and you are asking the same question. I am not interested in writing more comments just for you to ignore them. Your questions are also only trying to put me into the defensive anyway. I didn't decide anything alone. We did. Most of what you are angry about wasn't even my idea.
This bug report is a textbook example of what happens when you violate two rules of bug reporting: 1. Describe a problem, don't propose a solution: https://community.kde.org/Get_Involved/Issue_Reporting#Proposing_a_solution 2. Remember your manners: https://community.kde.org/Get_Involved/Issue_Reporting#Remember_your_manners If you want to try again, open a new bug report in which you describe a single issue that Selection Mode is causing you and we can figure out ways to resolve that issue. If you experience multiple issues, open multiple bug reports.
> If you want to try again It's a useless waste of time.
It does seem that way, yes.