Need a visual distinction between created and updated date in Note UI

[jyc23 36]

Quick -- take a look at the attached screenshot Capture.PNG and tell me whether the date / time is the created date / time, or the updated date / time. Can you do it?

No, I can't either. It would be great if there was just a little something that would tell you (without having to hover over the date) whether it was the created or updated date / time. Maybe a little "C" and "M" to the left of the date (or just come up with a pair of icons that look sufficiently different from each other). 

 

Also, there appears to be a bug in the date changer UI. If I click on the date to change it, then, before changing it, I expand the window horizontally (click and drag the right edge to the right) I get what you see in the screenshot Capture2.PNG (attached). I think tag input fields suffer from a similar bug (try clicking into a tag entry box then expanding the window horizontally). 

Is anyone else seeing this happen, too?

[jyc23 36]

Note: Capture.PNG is the first screenshot, Capture2.PNG is the second screenshot (I can't figure out how to edit the original post here).

[DTLow 5,736]

4 minutes ago, jyc23 said:

Quick -- take a look at the attached screenshot Capture.PNG and tell me whether the date / time is the created date / time, or the updated date / time. Can you do it?

I upvoted.  This is a screenshot from My Mac

To edit a note, use the green Edit Options links under the note

[jyc23 36]

Just now, DTLow said:

I upvoted.  This is a screenshot from My Mac

Wow, that looks great! Yes, the Windows client could definitely use that!!

[CalS 5,280]

47 minutes ago, jyc23 said:

Wow, that looks great! Yes, the Windows client could definitely use that!!

Funny thing is, if I remember correctly that's how the Windows client used to look.  Screen clip from 2013.  

[jyc23 36]

20 minutes ago, csihilling said:

Funny thing is, if I remember correctly that's how the Windows client used to look.  Screen clip from 2013.  

Hm ... so it changed? I guess it was felt that a more compact display was necessary.

Okay, well maybe we can combine the two. Instead of showing both dates side by side, just show:

C 11/27/2016 1:30PM V 

Where "C" stands for "Created Date". If the modified date is being shown, then it would say "M" instead. 

[CalS 5,280]

My solution has been to have updated date display in the note header area since created date appears in the note list column, assuming one has it to the left in the note list as I do.  So both dates are easily visible.  Is a minor PITA if you want to modify created date.  So don't really see the need to annotate which date.  But I can see how others might.

[jyc23 36]

3 minutes ago, csihilling said:

My solution has been to have updated date display in the note header area since created date appears in the note list column, assuming one has it to the left in the note list as I do.  So both dates are easily visible.  Is a minor PITA if you want to modify created date.  So don't really see the need to annotate which date.  But I can see how others might.

The pain in the behind is, when I go to change the created / modified date. It takes an extra click to first verify which date is being displayed before another click to actually change it. I guess I can get used to doing that extra click. But it just seems like a no-brainer to me that it would show which date it is in the field. Not showing which type it is feels like, say, an email client which doesn't make it clear whether someone is the recipient, a CC, or a BCC without requiring a right click to see. Or a gas pump that shows you a price but doesn't say which octane of fuel it is until you actively tap something to check. Or a pair of bathroom doors which are unmarked for gender (and which potentially change every time you visit!). It's not a dealbreaker, it's just unnecessary annoyance. I could go on ... 

[CalS 5,280]

4 minutes ago, jyc23 said:

The pain in the behind is, when I go to change the created / modified date. It takes an extra click to first verify which date is being displayed before another click to actually change it. I guess I can get used to doing that extra click. But it just seems like a no-brainer to me that it would show which date it is in the field. Not showing which type it is feels like, say, an email client which doesn't make it clear whether someone is the recipient, a CC, or a BCC without requiring a right click to see. Or a gas pump that shows you a price but doesn't say which octane of fuel it is until you actively tap something to check. Or a pair of bathroom doors which are unmarked for gender (and which potentially change every time you visit!). It's not a dealbreaker, it's just unnecessary annoyance. I could go on ... 

Yup.  I think this is the same conversation that occurred when the two dates were consolidated to one.  No doubt there is a thread or two on the forum containing those discussions.  Best I remember it was a part of the clean pallet design decisions that were made then.  I'd just have soon have the two dates in the note header like the old days myself.  

[phils 220]

24 minutes ago, jyc23 said:

The pain in the behind is, when I go to change the created / modified date. It takes an extra click to first verify which date is being displayed before another click to actually change it.

Not sure why you need this extra click?  When you drop down the little arrow to the right of the date, you select whether you want the Created or Updated date to be the date that's displaying, and that setting applies globally.  So once you pick which date you want showing there (and yes, I'd prefer the older Windows UI where it displayed both, but that's another matter), you'll know that's always the date field you'll see - so why would you need an extra click?

[jyc23 36]

11 minutes ago, phils said:

Not sure why you need this extra click?  When you drop down the little arrow to the right of the date, you select whether you want the Created or Updated date to be the date that's displaying, and that setting applies globally.  So once you pick which date you want showing there (and yes, I'd prefer the older Windows UI where it displayed both, but that's another matter), you'll know that's always the date field you'll see - so why would you need an extra click?

Oh, I didn't know that it was a global change. In any case, the thing is, I'm not always changing just created dates, or just updated dates. And I don't always remember whether I previously chose to have that field display updated or created date. And, for me anyway, there's some mental inertia that causes confusion for me when I sort my notes list by date: for example, if I sort my notes list by created date, I tend to think that the date shown on the note itself is also the created date. That's probably something I will just need to train myself to not do. But it certainly would be easier for me if it just said which date was showing. So if I want to change the created date, but I see a little "M", I'll know to change the mode to "Created Date" before clicking on the date selector. 

Or heck, why not just show "created date" or "modified date" in the date selector after you click on it, and also provide the ability to change it within the date selection UI along with the date? (see attached mockup)

[phils 220]

I definitely have no argument with your suggestion that the date UI could be better done - I like your last suggestion just above, or even going back to the previous Windows UI of showing both dates.  Just wanted to hopefully save you that extra click!  (But eliminating the click and the mental friction will mean picking one of the dates to display and then never, ever changing it.)