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by coredog64 3556 days ago
They take up a lot of real estate on a display and aren't particularly easy to read unless you get up close. If you already know what thresholds are it is far better to display a number and use the color to indicate where that is within the continuum of states.

There are practical uses for steam gauges, but I would argue that monitoring complex IT systems is not one of them.
2 comments
white-flame 3556 days ago
Taking up lots of real estate on a display is kind of the point of high-visibility indicators.

Regarding "aren't particularly easy to read", are you talking about reading numbers on the ticks? That's not the point of those indicators; the point is to be familiar with the low/expected/high ranges of the needle for various situations and be able to see with clarity the current state of expected/unexpected range of an indicator. Which then can be further inspected if necessary to focus in and see an exact number.

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jsmthrowaway 3556 days ago
> If you already know what thresholds are it is far better to display a number and use the color to indicate where that is within the continuum of states.

Since this thread is already on the topic of accessibility, I feel compelled to point out that this is the single worst option when considering colorblindness unless you mean shades of one color.

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