zfarooq | # 1 | 2009-11-30, 20:01 | Report

Are there any plans to implement swiping left or right on sms's/emails etc, to delete ?

Its much easier and very intuitive, both the pre and iphone do it and its becoming sort of a standard...

fnordianslip | # 2 | 2009-11-30, 21:25 | Report

I hope not. it sounds like it would be a bad move in the UI. Would you like that support in your file manager as well?

Laughing Man | # 3 | 2009-11-30, 21:31 | Report

Could always make it optional. Best of both worlds. No reason not to have it.

ARJWright | # 4 | 2009-11-30, 21:34 | Report

Good idea, but the implementation needs to be fleshed out to prevent accidental issues.

I'll type this as far as I can without making it a Brainstorm proposal.

This would definitely need to be added not as something in the OS by default, but possibly as part of a "Downloadable Gestures" application.

This application would have two sections of configuration
- Gestures: set default gestures and teach new ones
- Applications: set the default/customized gestures to specific applications or system-wide

Common Gestures (for default)
- double-tap to zoom in/out
- half circle up/down for page up/down
- small "X" on a list item to delete an item
- wave (accelerometer senses device held in portrait mode while being shaken agressively) to send contact information to another recivable device
- tap then tap-drag right to bring up a context menu for an item (think copy/cut text or bring up menu for listed items)
- multi-touch for multiple selections (see post 13 in this thread): user taps on the outer left edge of a list element, and while finger is still on the screen, uses another finger to tap additional items for a multiselect; when left is lifted get the context menu to copy/cut/delete/dupe items.

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In other words, its all possible, but there's a lot of work to be done to ensure that it stays simple. Here's a start, if a developer is willing, there ya go for another application (man I wish I could code).

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Last edited by ARJWright; 2009-12-01 at 03:31. Reason: added new one based on post #13

zerojay | # 5 | 2009-11-30, 21:44 | Report

That's a terrible idea because it's natural to think that swiping left or right would just move you around in your history, not delete items from it.

Laughing Man | # 6 | 2009-11-30, 21:48 | Report

Could make it so the user configures the action for the gesture. Of course if you loan the device to a friend you better watch out or your going have alot of things deleted.

osfight.de | # 7 | 2009-11-30, 23:24 | Report

IMHO: Why, oh why, is somebody requesting an OPTIONAL feature which is common on other brands and established and people start discussing how bad or good this feature is in general.
Seriously, I like blue, you like red. Do not try to argue away somebody's else preferences. If somebody requests swiping as a feature, I totally agree it should be added as an option.

If you ask me if swiping is better, more intuitive, cooler, Iphone, whatever, I can tell you: I like blue.

aSIMULAtor | # 8 | 2009-11-30, 23:36 | Report

no/ei/hindi/nej

ARJWright | # 9 | 2009-11-30, 23:36 | Report

That's because gestures aren't common features. There isn't just a technological component to them, but a cultural one. Whereas a gesture might mean something to you, it may not contextualize in the same meaning for others.

I took the original idea, and proposed a solution; from there, its better to take that solution and try and get something established - for example an official idea, something like what I did for the ideas.symbian website for a similar common request - or propose something different *that is also a solution.*

Bickering over the bickering about the validity of an idea turns ideas like the one that started this thread into another loud echo-chamber.

Lastly, if you can propose an idea, you also have to be willing to accept that others won't like it - espeically in a community like this one where feedback is essential to the very existenance of the community.

fnordianslip | # 10 | 2009-11-30, 23:46 | Report

I was just thinking from a UI consistency point of view. There's no way I could go near a UI that deleted things if I brushed my finger on a touchscreen in a file-manager, and if it can't be done in a file-manager, I wouldn't want it in any other apps.
Fair enough, I don't expect you to agree with me, and if you want an option and enough people agree with you, then you should have that option, and I hope you get it. It sounds even worse than making everything fit in a portrait view on a device with a widescreen aspect ratio. I suppose in a portrait view, you'd really have to have steady fingers to avoid side-swiping stuff into oblivion ...