the dialog box is a lame duck

file under: UI Pontification

Firefox Ditches the Dialog Box | Webmonkey�| Wired.com

Modal dialogs are confusing and frustrating. I hate the way they insistently blink at me when I try to click outside, demanding my attention before I can do what I want, forcing me to think on their rails. Outside of a few rare, special cases, modal interactions are a crutch that should be avoided wherever possible.

Non-modal boxes are... clunky. They get lost easily or they get in the way. They probably still have their uses, but as a design paradigm, they will be eclipsed.

Doing better may not be easy, but the sign of the dialog box is declining. Human interfaces are maturing, slowly, painfully.

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