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98.css

jdan.github.io

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Re: 98.css

#71

Post by spaghettifythis »

sodapopcan wrote: post #52

Flat design is so ridiculous. Made someone a bunch of money. Now everyone follows like sheep. Sorry for the doomer comment but, like, really. I'd love to say that I'm surprised that we haven't gotten over this, but given it's been... 20 years (?)... I'm not surprised. Also, the way multi-row tabs Just Work in the UIs of yesteryear *chef's kiss*

Multi-row tabs are the primary thing I dislike about old UIs. You never seem to see them anymore, for which I am immensely grateful. Not only do they take up valuable vertical space, but they way the rows jump around always confused more than it really should have - a button shouldn't move after I click it, especially if it is representing state.

Re: 98.css

#72

Post by blurgo »

OsrsNeedsf2P wrote: post #6

I really want to make one of my websites use this.. I just can't think of one that would fit. Also shout out XFCE-winxp-tc, which makes your Linux look like Windows XP. Lots of people know about Chicago95, but this project is excellent for that 2004 vibe [0] https://github.com/rozniak/xfce-winxp-tc

[dead]

Re: 98.css

#73

Post by cube00 »

acchow wrote: post #58
sodapopcan wrote: post #52

Flat design is so ridiculous. Made someone a bunch of money. Now everyone follows like sheep. Sorry for the doomer comment but, like, really. I'd love to say that I'm surprised that we haven't gotten over this, but given it's been... 20 years (?)... I'm not surprised. Also, the way multi-row tabs Just Work in the UIs of yesteryear *chef's kiss*

If it takes longer to find stuff on a page, one of the most prized metrics goes up: time on page. And here we are.

> one of the most prized metrics goes up: time on page

It took me way too long to realise those widgets that show stats quickly counting up are only there hoping you'll wait until they finish counting to see the total number. All to increase your time on the page and make the metrics look good for the designer.

Re: 98.css

#74

Post by TheAceOfHearts »

A few months back I was playing around with win32 UI widgets and found one instance of surprising behavior which diverges from what is implemented here. To be clear this is not a dig on the project, and in particular the way it works on the web feels more correct to me.

When using the TrackBar widget, equivalent of , assuming you have value 0 / 100 if you click on the line bar it will jump to the 20 value regardless of how far or close you click on the line [0]. I found that behavior very surprising, and would've expected it to jump to wherever you clicked.

[0] https://bsky.app/profile/cesarandreu.bsky.social/post/3mitlr...

Re: 98.css

#75

Post by culi »

_superposition_ wrote: post #35
culi wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

last time this came up people appreciated my collection https://alexbsoft.github.io/win95.css/ windows 95 https://bootstra386.com/ 1980's websites https://botoxparty.github.io/XP.css/ windows xp https://code.divshot.com/geo-bootstrap/ geocities https://cs16.samke.me/ counter strike 1.6 https://edwardtufte.github.io/tufte-css/ edward tufte https://jdan.github.io/98.css/ windows 98 https://khang-nd.github.io/7.css/ win…

Geocities is broken otherwise thanks!

Thanks! It's archived at Wayback Machine at least http://web.archive.org/web/20260405010843/https://code.divsh...

Re: 98.css

#76

Post by hdjrudni »

spaghettifythis wrote: post #71
sodapopcan wrote: post #52

Flat design is so ridiculous. Made someone a bunch of money. Now everyone follows like sheep. Sorry for the doomer comment but, like, really. I'd love to say that I'm surprised that we haven't gotten over this, but given it's been... 20 years (?)... I'm not surprised. Also, the way multi-row tabs Just Work in the UIs of yesteryear *chef's kiss*

Multi-row tabs are the primary thing I dislike about old UIs. You never seem to see them anymore, for which I am immensely grateful. Not only do they take up valuable vertical space, but they way the rows jump around always confused more than it really should have - a button shouldn't move after I click it, especially if it is representing state.

As opposed to tabs that either (a) get so small they're illegible, or (b) scroll off the screen so they're no longer accessible?

The moving tabs issue we can fix but just not moving them.

And the vertical space issue is much less of an issue now than it was then because we have higher resolutions but the answer to that is to start closing tabs when you can no longer see your content. It's like a quiet little nag that says you have too much stuff open.

Re: 98.css

#77

Post by sodapopcan »

spaghettifythis wrote: post #71
sodapopcan wrote: post #52

Flat design is so ridiculous. Made someone a bunch of money. Now everyone follows like sheep. Sorry for the doomer comment but, like, really. I'd love to say that I'm surprised that we haven't gotten over this, but given it's been... 20 years (?)... I'm not surprised. Also, the way multi-row tabs Just Work in the UIs of yesteryear *chef's kiss*

Multi-row tabs are the primary thing I dislike about old UIs. You never seem to see them anymore, for which I am immensely grateful. Not only do they take up valuable vertical space, but they way the rows jump around always confused more than it really should have - a button shouldn't move after I click it, especially if it is representing state.

My (admittedly spontaneous) thought was that we don't see them anymore because flat design make them almost impossible. Even with dividers, it would just look like a grid.

I don't think that more-tabs-that-can-fit-on-one-"line" is ideal, but I think the modern equivalent - horizontal scolling tabs - is waaay friggin' worse. I've been confused by those before whereas the first time I encountered multi-row tabs in the "depth style," I had zero confusion about what I was looking at.

Re: 98.css

#78

Post by deathanatos »

cube00 wrote: post #36
zemo wrote: post #33

unjokingly I think the fact that we removed grayed out buttons for "the button just doesn't appear" is one of the more confusing UI trends of our day and the sight of a grayed out button warms my heart

Microsoft had some excellent guidance[1] on this: > Reconsider disabled controls. Disabled controls can be hard to use because users literally have to deduce why they are disabled. Disable a control when users expect it to apply and they can easily deduce why the control is disabled. Remove the control when there is no way for users to enable it or they don't expect it to apply, or leave it enabled, but provide an er…

Excellent? No,

> Remove the control when there is no way for users to enable it

That guidance is unhinged, and is exactly the anti-pattern that upthread points to that needs to die.

Removing the control is like gaslighting the user: they're looking for "how to do X?" and documentation, Internet searchable screenshots, and, god help us, now AI, are pointing them at a button that does not exist. I cannot tell you how many times I've frustratingly circled that mulberry bush as a user, for a wide range of products.

No, the button (and all other UI elements) should always present/be visible, and if there is a disabled control, there should be a HIG-standardized way to determine why it is disabled. (I.e., a mandatory tool-tip that states what actions would cause the control to enable, though I'd accept that tool-tips themselves are not always discoverable. You could have a small, standardized icon on the disabled control, like an :information-symbol-emoji: that might hit towards the tool-tip, or just put in underneath.)

Re: 98.css

#79

Post by danielrmay »

TheAceOfHearts wrote: post #74

A few months back I was playing around with win32 UI widgets and found one instance of surprising behavior which diverges from what is implemented here. To be clear this is not a dig on the project, and in particular the way it works on the web feels more correct to me. When using the TrackBar widget, equivalent of , assuming you have value 0 / 100 if you click on the line bar it will jump to the 20 value regardless…

I remember this behavior. I think it would be more historically accurate to omit pointer cursors on expandable treeview items, too

Re: 98.css

#80

Post by sodapopcan »

ObscureScience wrote: post #69
inigyou wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Win3.1 style was completely flat and ugly though.

Are you thinking of Win 2.0? https://static0.howtogeekimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/upl...

I think they must be? Windows 3.1 had depth. Win95 rammped it up in, what we all thought at the time, was a good way.

I have this really fond memory of showing my friend (who is still one of my good friends in adulthood) who had installed XP that he could change the theme "back" to look exactly 95/98/2000. His reaction was this very earnest "I love this..." as he clicked around like he was experiencing again for the first time. Anyway, ya, getting a bit off topic into memory lane, but we just had cool UIs back then.

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