Connecting network jump is confusing

[Merlijn Sebrechts]

Ubuntu 15.04 r23

1. Do any of the following:
    - open System Settings > "Wi-Fi"
    - open the network indicator
    - flash the phone and go to the "Connect to Wi-Fi" step

2. Tap a closed network that is not on top and that you haven't used before

Behaviour I get:
Network jumps to top. After a while a prompt pops up to request your password. This can take up to 5 second on slow networks.
This is very confusing. When the network jumped to the top, I wasn't sure if I tapped it, so I tapped it again. This had the following result: *popup asking for password appears* *popup goes away almost immediately* *popup comes back after a few seconds*

Proposed solution:
Immediately after tapping a network, even before putting it on top of the list, give it an indication of "trying to connect" either by a different color, a loading icon, ... (let the design guys figure this out)

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Jonas G. Drange (jonas-drange)]

The spec [1] says there should be a spinner and that the network should stay in place.

The Ubuntu System Settings menu is a copy of the Network indicator menu.

[1] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Networking#Connection_progress_in_the_network.2BAC8-wi-fi_menu

[Matthew Paul Thomas (mpt)]

It would be great if the System Settings network list *was* exactly the same code as the network indicator network list. Currently they differ in icon size, spacing, padlock position, and colors vs. checkboxes, so it would be alarming if one really was a copy of the other.

Anyway, in Ubuntu 15.04 r23, System Settings, the indicator menu, and the first-run setup all have the bug described: when you select a network, it jumps to the top of the list before it has even connected. This is especially jarring when it fails to connect at all, for example because you don't know the password.

That the network you choose should jump to the top currently isn't mentioned in the spec at all. It's a good idea -- better than using checkboxes, at least! -- but if it had been specced in advance perhaps this bug would have been avoided. Mea culpa.

[Merlijn Sebrechts (merlijn-sebrechts)]

To clarify:

What I find most confusing is that when you tap the network, it jumps on
top without any notification that you have tapped it. Only after a while,
it changes color. If you want to keep the "jumping on top" behaviour, I
suggest you change the color, or put an icon overlay BEFORE jumping on top,
so it is clear to the user that he tapped it.

In many (obviously inferior) operating systems, the ordering of the
available networks changes while you are scrolling through them, so the
network jumping on top isn't a universal sign that you tapped it.

2015-06-15 9:58 GMT+02:00 Matthew Paul Thomas <email address hidden>:

> It would be great if the System Settings network list *was* exactly the
> same code as the network indicator network list. Currently they differ
> in icon size, spacing, padlock position, and colors vs. checkboxes, so
> it would be alarming if one really was a copy of the other.
>
> Anyway, in Ubuntu 15.04 r23, System Settings, the indicator menu, and
> the first-run setup all have the bug described: when you select a
> network, it jumps to the top of the list before it has even connected.
> This is especially jarring when it fails to connect at all, for example
> because you don't know the password.
>
> That the network you choose should jump to the top currently isn't
> mentioned in the spec at all. It's a good idea -- better than using
> checkboxes, at least! -- but if it had been specced in advance perhaps
> this bug would have been avoided. Mea culpa.
>
> ** Changed in: ubuntu-system-settings (Ubuntu)
> Importance: Undecided => Medium
>
> ** Changed in: ubuntu-system-settings (Ubuntu)
> Status: Invalid => Confirmed
>
> ** Changed in: ubuntu-system-settings (Ubuntu)
> Assignee: (unassigned) => Matthew Paul Thomas (mpt)
>
> ** Also affects: unity8 (Ubuntu)
> Importance: Undecided
> Status: New
>
> ** Description changed:
>
> - BQ phone
> + Ubuntu 15.04 r23
>
> - Steps to reproduce:
> - 1) go to network settings
> - 2) tap network that is not on top
> + 1. Do any of the following:
> + - open System Settings > "Wi-Fi"
> + - open the network indicator
> + - flash the phone and go to the "Connect to Wi-Fi" step
>
> + 2. Tap a closed network that is not on top and that you haven't used
> + before
>
> Behaviour I get:
> Network jumps to top. After a while a prompt pops up to request your
> password. This can take up to 5 second on slow networks.
> This is very confusing. When the network jumped to the top, I wasn't
> sure if I tapped it, so I tapped it again. This had the following result:
> *popup asking for password appears* *popup goes away almost immediately*
> *popup comes back after a few seconds*
>
> -
> Proposed solution:
> Immediately after tapping a network, even before putting it on top of
> the list, give it an indication of "trying to connect" either by a
> different color, a loading icon, ... (let the design guys figure this out)
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1452751
>
> Title:
> Connecting network jump is confusing
>
> Status in indicator-network package in Ubuntu:
> ...