Disable vs Enable in GUI in general

[avp]

It seems generally odd to me to have options such as:

Disable the automatic dashboard auto-update check

Disable this rule

You have to tell users to "enable the disabled checkbox".  I find the whole thing non-intuitive, and confusing.

I suggest all (or most) Disable checkboxes should be re-worded to use "Enable"

Enable the automatic dashboard auto-update check

Enable this rule

Let the arguments begin…

[phil.davis]

For binary on/off options I find it is cleanest if the default is the unchecked state. Then when you first come to a set of options they are all unchecked. It makes it easy to know that you are doing the default thing when all the boxes are unchecked. You only check a box when you want to do something special.
And that happens to make the logic easy in the config also - if the item in the config is missing completely then it will default to logic false, so everything naturally defaults to unchecked.
If you follow that logic, then there will be some checkboxes with a reverse description "Disable xyz" or "Do not do xyz".

[brianc69]

Agreed. The enable to disable logic is confusing. It should be cleaned up. There's no reason why we can't have defaults enabled or disabled so the comments in the second post make no sense. I think all packages should also have a reset to defaults to correct things we mess up in the process of learning how it works.

[NOYB]

My philosophy on this subject.  Computers were create by humans to serve humans.  When humans have to be accommodative of them for the sake of making something easier for computers and/or their programmers, the system is backwards and broken.

[jimp]

I'd rather they all be positive when possible, with the checkboxes shown to reflect the default.

If the default is to do stuff, and there is an option to disable, I'd prefer to see this by default:

[ X ] Do Stuff

Getting to that point can be a bit tricky, however, given how some things are worded and operate now.

[NOYB]

In general think I agree with that.  Simple straight forward positive/affirmative logic is generally easiest for we humans.  Checked box = enabled (do something), un-checked box = disabled (don't do something).