site policies: does checkbox mean yes or override default?

site policies: does checkbox mean yes or override default?

by A. T. Wyatt -
Number of replies: 10
I am sure this is a stupid question, but the more I mess around with this, the more confused I grow!!

On the security>site policies page, there are a number of settings with a checkbox and a default value. Does the checkbox mean "yes" and the default setting actually means "recommended setting", or does the checkbox mean that you want to override the default and essentially do the opposite?

If the checkbox means "enable" and the word "default" actually means "recommended setting", then I would lobby for a change in language. Well, I would lobby for a change in language regardless, but first I need to know how to interpret these things.

Someone please set me straight! I will be very grateful. I haven't set up a site for over year, so I am looking at this with newbie eyes. (and yes, I did attempt to find an answer before posting, but was unsuccessful. Everyone else knows what this means except me. smile )

atw
Attachment sitepolicies.gif
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In reply to A. T. Wyatt

Re: site policies: does checkbox mean yes or override default?

by Mary Cooch -
Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Testers Picture of Translators
I asked myself the same question last night when I was setting up something in Moodle! It IS semantically confusing! (not that that is any help but I do empathise!) I think (in this instance) if you leave it as it is then usernames are "protected" but if you tick/check the box then they are no longer protected..but..er... it might be the other way roundmixed
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In reply to Mary Cooch

Re: site policies: does checkbox mean yes or override default?

by A. T. Wyatt -
Well, I did test it a bit, and I *think* the checkbox means "true" or "yes" or "on" or "flagged" while unchecked means no/false/off. But in that case the term should not be default. To me, default means that the setting is already enabled and then to uncheck should mean to override the default. Which is confusing. I would rather see the word default changed to "recommended setting: on" or "recommended setting: off" as being more clear to the average user.

Anthony! Shall we go file this in usability tracker items?

atw
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In reply to A. T. Wyatt

Re: site policies: does checkbox mean yes or override default?

by Mary Cooch -
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Well I'm not Anthony but I think you should, on the grounds your sentences confused me even more then! smile
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In reply to A. T. Wyatt

Re: site policies: does checkbox mean yes or override default?

by Jon Witts -
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I always thought that a tick indicated yes, no tick indicated no and the default setting was to tell you what it would be had it never been changed...

At least that's what I read it as thoughtful
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In reply to Jon Witts

Re: site policies: does checkbox mean yes or override default?

by Anthony Borrow -
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My understanding is as Jon describes it. Check = yes, unchecked = no, default indicates what it is by default when creating a site. It would be good if Olli could work this into some of his work with the GSOC. Peace - Anthony
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In reply to Anthony Borrow

Re: site policies: does checkbox mean yes or override default?

by Olli Savolainen -
Thanks for the alert! Seems to fit the guidelines.
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In reply to A. T. Wyatt

Re: site policies: does checkbox mean yes or override default?

by Kathy Cannon -
Thanks for the courageous question. We've experienced the same confusion here and worked through it eventually, but with every update comes new admin settings and new confusion arises. We try to read the text for what is "enabled" and assume the checkmark means yah, I want that enabled. Sometimes it is hard to know if we are enabling something to NOT happen. That's when we get annoyed.

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In reply to Kathy Cannon

Re: site policies: does checkbox mean yes or override default?

by Marc Grober -
Seems to me that Anthony and I had a lengthbexchane about QA issues and possible solutions, especially as it relates to usability, but I don't know that anything ever came of it, though the extensive testing of the reissuance of the new GB was a good start. This is not to blame any developer, it's very common in that the person familiar enough with an app to modify it comes to the app with a much different mind set than the person who is trying to use this or that for the first time.

One of the points argued at one time was a post install configuration punch list linked to how-tos that would help one actiallly work through the zillions of configuration options that present themselves post install. Time for another Moodle book?
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In reply to Marc Grober

Re: site policies: does checkbox mean yes or override default?

by E. L. Cooper -

How about two blocks? enable and disabled,  yes no

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In reply to E. L. Cooper

Re: site policies: does checkbox mean yes or override default?

by Anthony Borrow -
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E.L. - I think it unnecessarily complicates the UI. Screen real estate is prime so I would not recommend two boxes. The checkbox works fine as long as folks understand how it works as yes and no which is pretty intuitive. I think perhaps with better descriptions we could say things like 'When checked this option enables this. When unchecked this option disables that." Peace - Anthony
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