I was looking up web developer portfolios on (( the other site )) and came across this one: https://m7mad.dev/

It has a target for the cursor instead of a mouse. While I think most modern web developers do a lot of unnecessary bullshit to “show off” and justify their existence, this particular design got me thinking.

Why do we have a “mouse” for a cursor? Does it really make more sense than have a target similar to the one on this site?

I think most of us don’t even bother to question it, myself included, but it might just be one of those weird relics of the past that we accepted because we thought others knew more than us.

  • ProfessorScience@lemmy.worldEnglish
    16·
    5 days ago

    I think another part of it is being able to see what you’re clicking on. You want cursor pixels near the click target because they can show you where you’re clicking. But you also want the area around the target to be clear so you can see what you’re clicking on. Putting all of the “show me where I’m clicking” pixels on one side leaves as much space free to see what you’re clicking on as possible.