Comments on: FastScripts 2.4

By: Berend

Berend — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:40:41 +0000

I like the colour menu icon too; it stands out discreetly.
To my mind it does function a bit as a brand marker.
Luckily I read this before installing 2.4 and quickly changed to the coloured icon. Considering the number of reactions, FastScripts must be popular.

By: Daniel Jalkut

Daniel Jalkut — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 04:22:54 +0000

Thanks, DDA! I updated the page.

By: DDA

DDA — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:23:58 +0000

Just a reminder that the AppleScript page you linked to hasn’t been updated for the change in licensing; it still talks about “FastScripts Lite.”

By: Daniel Jalkut

Daniel Jalkut — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:33:54 +0000

Lloyd: it’s one of the weak points in my marketing/documentation for FastScripts. Since I wrote the application mostly as a reaction to Apple’s own Script Menu, i started out addressing the needs of those users who were already familiar with the Script Menu.

I need to put together a more suitable “FastScripts for beginners” document at some point. For now, the best I can do is point you at some of my own recommended scripts:

http://www.red-sweater.com/AppleScript/

I admit they are a little wide-reaching and many are not pertinent to everyday users. There is another great resource called MacScripter:

http://macscripter.net/

In a nutshell, lots of folks who aren’t particularly experienced with scripting get started in the world of automation by using scripts other folks have written. And those scripts can be found in a variety of locations including MacScripter.

Daniel

By: Lloyd Budd

Lloyd Budd — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:25:14 +0000

For people new to scripts, is there a page that describes the most commonly useful ones?

By: Ricky Buchanan

Ricky Buchanan — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:22:37 +0000

Daniel wrote:
For example, I don’t offer 5 different “MarsEdit” icons to users, even though some users might prefer one or the other. And Honda doesn’t let you pick which of 5 “H” logos appear on the back of their cars.

I’m sure you’re right, but just for a possibly-amusing data point: I’d honestly never thought of a menu extra as a “brand thing”. I guess I think of them more as things that offer small functionality indicated by the icon (eject icon, date/time reading, etc.) and sometimes also give you data about the current state of things (volume icon, internatinal ‘flag’ icon, the iStat menu icons, etc.). But – this conversation aside – if you’d asked me what the FastScripts icon was I would have said it looks like a grey scroll with a red lightning bolt on it.

I’m not sure this is actually relevant to anything – it’s Daniel’s program and certainly makes sense for things to be consistent in terms of the icon’s shape at least. But it made me think.

r
PS
Ryan, I think the appropriate reply would be “Web2.0: We’re doin it rong” ;)

By: Matthew Smith

Matthew Smith — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:00:41 +0000

I wanted to mention that Apple’s input menu is in color when it’s turned on. It shows the flag of the country’s keyboard you’re using, so it kind of has to be in color to be effective. If even Apple uses a color icon in the menu bar, keeping a color icon doesn’t necessarily violate the “Apple Way.”

By: Ryan Platte

Ryan Platte — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:41:48 +0000

What’s going on, folks? Everybody’s being civil, caring for each other, and using their brains in this comment thread! Is this what was meant by Web 2.0? If so, count me in!

By: Daniel Jalkut

Daniel Jalkut — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:34:46 +0000

matt/DDA: I respect TextExpander’s decision, but what I don’t like about it is the way it presents an inconsistent brand to users. I think it’s important for an app to present itself in a relatively uniform manner.

For example, I don’t offer 5 different “MarsEdit” icons to users, even though some users might prefer one or the other. And Honda doesn’t let you pick which of 5 “H” logos appear on the back of their cars.

I think there is room for compromise here, but for my personal taste and instincts, the number of options in the TextExpander preferences are too many.

By: DDA

DDA — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:30:24 +0000

matt: You’re right, TextExpander does have multiple icons, some of which are colour and others of which aren’t. Perhaps that is the correct choice, then; give the user a choice. :-)