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Read your Hacker News in Tile Style

apps.microsoft.com

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Re: Read your Hacker News in Tile Style

#41

Post by johnsea »

jeremyarussell wrote: post #27
johnsea wrote: post #17

US $ 1.49 to access Hacker News content through an app?! This should be open source and free.

Why exactly should it be free and open source? Because last time I checked hacker news isn't specifically free or open source, it's news for hackers, and it's parent company (ycombinator) tailors itself to startups and investors. Both of which want to make money, so I'm not really getting how you came to your conclusion. I for one don't mind paying $1.49 for an app, I just spent 5 dollars on coffee...

I can't give a real argument. It would be more out of respect to the content which originates from other people and quite often deals in topic which are open/free. But 1.49 is not much and if it helps the dev...

Re: Read your Hacker News in Tile Style

#45

Post by dkarl »

rckrd wrote: post #21

Just from a UX perspective, I wonder what seems like a more natural ordering: [ 1 2 ] [ 3 4 ] Is more natural to read than: [ 1 3 ] [ 2 4 ] I would think that since we read from left to right and then down, that the standard matrix ordering row, then column, might be more preferable. Yet, horizontal scroll plays a larger role in metro, so this might not be a bad idea. I'd love to hear from someone who knows anything…

As a user, scanning a 2D array of tiles feels like work. I think this might be part of the reason: if I don't remember how a particular app or page is laid out, I have to scan both ways and decide which way makes more sense.

Maybe a single convention could emerge per mobile platform, but across the entire web, I doubt it, and honestly, my biggest problem with 2D grids is that scanning every item systematically feel very unnatural, and I doubt I will ever break that habit. Decades of reading has led me to see me to see Roman text as coherent, directed strings, and lists also naturally elicit in-order scanning behavior for me, but 2D grids of squares or rectangles are used for things that require different scanning behavior. When I look at maps, board games, and color or fabric samples, for example, I tend to hop around looking for patterns among groups of tiles, combined with occasional breadth-first scanning outward from points. My first reaction to a 2D grid is never to systematically scan all individual items but to start jumping around impressionistically, and then to switch to a systematic scan if the impressionistic method fails. Naturally, switching provokes irritation, both at myself and at the situation.

I wonder if the experience is different for people who grew up reading Chinese.

Re: Read your Hacker News in Tile Style

#46

Post by tommy_ »

johnsea wrote: post #42
negrit wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah cool, can you work for me for FREE ? But nice troll.

Why should Quixby be allowed to scalp the content for FREE?

You are not paying for the content, you are paying for an alternate way to consume the content.

Re: Read your Hacker News in Tile Style

#47

Post by queryly »

rckrd wrote: post #21

Just from a UX perspective, I wonder what seems like a more natural ordering: [ 1 2 ] [ 3 4 ] Is more natural to read than: [ 1 3 ] [ 2 4 ] I would think that since we read from left to right and then down, that the standard matrix ordering row, then column, might be more preferable. Yet, horizontal scroll plays a larger role in metro, so this might not be a bad idea. I'd love to hear from someone who knows anything…

Is this possible to change to the scrolling direction to up and down only? It would then feel more like reading a newspaper and also work well with HN's scoring system.

Re: Read your Hacker News in Tile Style

#48

Post by geofft »

guiambros wrote: post #38
yitchelle wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't mind that the dude is charging $1.49 for his efforts, but the code should be open sourced!

Would you do something with it, if it was open source? I can't understand people begging to have everything open sourced, but unwilling to dedicate time to write a single line of code (or patches, or testing, or documentation). Yes, it's okay for developers to invest their own time to develop something, and try to recover their costs by selling it. And it's also ok if they decide to keep it closed source, because pro…

I'd read it, and learn how Windows 8 app development works.

I'd potentially notice security issues and inform the author, if there are any.

I might notice performance issues and point those out.

Re: Read your Hacker News in Tile Style

#50

Post by roc »

thingsilearned wrote: post #34

Tile style seems to really de-emphasize the titles of the articles in favor of their score. Emphasizing the score, especially with the ranking algorithm being so time based is fairly confusing. It seems like the number should be in order, but they of course aren't. A fix may be as simple as changing the two greys, having the darker grey behind the article title, and the lighter one behind the number. Also, increasing…

> "A fix may be as simple as changing the two greys"

You're drawn to 1. the contrast between the colors and 2. the visually-emphasized smaller box pulled 'on top' of the larger box of text.

Wwapping the greys would do nothing for the net contrast. If anything it'd exacerbate the effect by making the block of text darker and less noticeable. Lessening the difference between the two greys would cause them to blend more and take out some of the 'pop'.

But I think 2. is the bigger problem. You'd want to put the 'score' inside the larger box to de-emphasize that element.

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