Indication of Delayed Content Output in a User Interface

Abstract

Indication of delayed content output is described. In an implementation, content is output for display as a user interface having one or more selectable elements. When a cursor is positioned proximally to one of the selectable elements, a graphical symbol is output in the user interface that indicates a delay of a user-specified amount of time before additional content is displayed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 outputting content for display as a user interface, the content having one or more selectable elements; and   outputting a graphical symbol in the user interface that indicates a delay of a user-specified amount of time before additional content is displayed when a cursor is positioned proximally to one of the one or more selectable elements, wherein the graphical symbol indicates the delay of the user-specified amount of time as a graphical build-up from a first displayed representation to a second displayed representation and a subsequent graphical countdown from the second displayed representation back to the first displayed representation.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the selectable elements include hyperlinks. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising overlaying the additional content on at least a portion of the content. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the additional content includes one or more representations of one or more actions. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining, from a content provider over a network, the content having the one or more selectable elements; and   setting, by the content provider, the user specified amount of time, and wherein, the one of the one or more selectable elements is a hyperlink to the additional content.   
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining, through execution of a module maintained in local storage of a client that performed the outputting, the content having the one or more selectable elements; and   setting the user specified amount of time.   
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 outputting the additional content in the user interface; and   causing the cursor to be navigable between the proximal position to the one of the one or more selectable elements and the additional content.   
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 outputting the additional content when the cursor is positioned proximally to the one of the one or more selectable elements for the user-specified amount of time; and   ceasing display of the additional content when the cursor is no longer positioned proximally to the one of the one or more selectable elements or the additional content.   
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 outputting the additional content in response to the cursor being positioned proximally to the one of the one or more selectable elements for the user-specified amount of time; and   disabling display of the additional content and preventing the additional content from being displayed in response to the cursor being navigated to the additional content and then back to the one of the one or more selectable elements.   
     
     
         10 . A processer-executable method, comprising:
 outputting a graphical symbol proximally to one of a plurality of selectable elements when a cursor is positioned proximally to the one of the plurality of selectable elements in a user interface, wherein the graphical symbol indicates a delay of a user-specified amount of time as a graphical build-up from a first displayed representation to a second displayed representation and a subsequent graphical countdown from the second displayed representation back to the first displayed representation; and   outputting additional content that corresponds to the one of the plurality of selectable elements when the cursor is positioned proximally to the one of the plurality of selectable elements for the amount of time.   
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising outputting the additional content proximally to at least a portion of the graphical symbol thereby causing the portion of the graphical symbol to be viewable concurrently with the additional content. 
     
     
         12 . The method as described recited in  claim 10 , further comprising outputting the additional content as an overlay over at least a portion of the content. 
     
     
         13 . The method as described recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 disabling display of the additional content; and   preventing display of the additional content upon the cursor being navigated to the additional content and then back to the one of the plurality of selectable elements.   
     
     
         14 . One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that are executable by one or more processors to direct a computer to:
 output a user interface having one or more selectable elements; and   output a graphical symbol in the user interface that indicates a delay of a user-specified amount of time before additional content is displayed when a cursor is positioned proximally to one of the one or more selectable elements.   
     
     
         15 . One or more computer-readable media as recited in  claim 14 , wherein, the graphical symbol indicates the delay of the user-specified amount of time as a graphical build-up from a first displayed representation to a second displayed representation, and a subsequent graphical countdown from the second displayed representation back to the first displayed representation. 
     
     
         16 . One or more computer-readable media as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the selectable elements include a plurality of hyperlinks. 
     
     
         17 . One or more computer-readable media as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to direct the computer to output at least one of the plurality of hyperlinks such that it is not distinguishable from another one of the plurality of hyperlinks, the at least one of the plurality of hyperlinks not to indicate the delay of the user-specified amount of time. 
     
     
         18 . One or more computer-readable media as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to direct the computer to:
 output the additional content when the cursor is positioned proximally to the one of the one or more selectable elements for the user-specified amount of time; and   cease display of the additional content when the cursor is no longer positioned proximally to the one of the one or more selectable elements or the additional content.   
     
     
         19 . One or more computer-readable media as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to direct the computer to:
 obtain, from a content provider over a network, content having the one or more selectable elements; and   set the user-specified amount of time, and wherein, the one of the one or more selectable elements is a hyperlink to the additional content.   
     
     
         20 . One or more computer-readable media as recited in  claim 14  wherein the computer-executable instructions are further executable by the one or more processors to direct the computer to:
 output the additional content in response to detecting a positioning of the cursor proximally to the one of the one or more selectable elements for the user-specified amount of time; and 
 disable display of the additional content and prevent the additional content from being displayed upon the cursor being navigated to the additional content and then back to the one of the one or more selectable elements.