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There are two things computers do that make me feel like I'm fighting them instead of using them: hover-triggered junk that explodes under my cursor, and apps that steal focus the moment they wake up.

Hover hijinks

In Outlook, when I move my mouse up to click the other tab to switch from Focused to Other, I'll sometimes overshoot and skim across the New button. That split-second hover opens a dropdown to create three different things. I'm moving fast, so I pull my mouse back down to hit the thing I meant to click-except now the menu has appeared, and I end up creating a new calendar event. It's the UI equivalent of a rake on the lawn.

Slack does a version of this too. When I try to quickly click someone's name in the sidebar and shoot past it, I'll accidentally hover one of the icons (like DMs). Slack opens a big panel full of stuff right where I'm about to click, and I land on that instead of the person. I didn't ask for the panel. I didn't even pause-I just grazed the hitbox.

Hover should be a hint, not a command. It should be an indication that interacting with this element is possible, and the context can dictate whether that's a click or something else. Don't change layouts, open panels, or spawn menus on hover-ever. Save UI changes for explicit actions like click, tap, or pressing Enter.

Focus stealing

Focus theft is the same problem in a different outfit. I'll use Alfred to open a bunch of apps in the morning, or I'll start something heavyweight like Microsoft Teams that takes several seconds to wake up. I return to what I was doing-and then windows begin popping to the front one by one, yanking my input as they finish launching. I tab away, click away, and some other startup window steals it again. The whole time, my intention is clear: let me keep working while you load.

I'd love to try an operating system mode that disables focus stealing entirely. What breaks? Maybe some permission prompts or password dialogs need a different affordance. Fine-show a non-modal banner, bounce the icon, or flash the title bar. Reserve true focus grabs for critical prompts or when I deliberately bring that window forward-not just because an app finished launching.

The common thread

Both of these are interruptions that assume I want help. Most of the time I don't-I want the computer to stay out of my way. If I could change one thing, it would be this: favor intent over eagerness. Don't explode the UI because my pointer glanced your way, and don't shove a window in front of me because you're excited to say hello.

Make it easy to ask for things. Make it hard to get in the way.