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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: usabilty report
From:       Eric Ellsworth <whalesuit () softhome ! net>
Date:       2003-01-29 17:04:13
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Hi Luke,
	Great feedback - we're fleshing out some good points here. 

> Just a few thoughts, really... An IM application is a special case, more so
> than e-mail app, which is closer to your definition of a telephone as a
> service. The thing with a telephone, is that when you are not using it, it
> doesn't give the illusion to others that you are there, so they don't start
> engaging in a conversation with you even though you are afk.

As I understand it, this is the substance of your problem with the behavior of 
Kopete.  It sounds like we have two different use cases that what we're 
discussing:

You want to log on, send some messages, and log off, like IRC.
If I may guess at an opinion of yours: You don't like it when somebody appears 
to be logged on, and is actually not there. This use case is not what most 
IMs are presently designed for (they try pretty hard to keep you logged in 
all the time), and it seems Kopete is  between an IM-style approach and an 
iRC approach right now, though leaning towards the former, I'd say.

My use case is:
I want to be able to be reachable electronically, as with a phone.  When I'm 
away, if the away mechanism works properly, my status shows up as away in the 
root window of anyone who has me as a contact.  So I'm comfortable that users 
won't try to communicate with me when I'm not there.

> I think a much more preferential use of the close button, were it not used
> for actual closing, would be to disconnect. In this case, the app is still
> running, but not advertising that the person is there, when they might not
> be...
I have the same disagreement with disconnecting as with closing - it 
disconnects the phone service.

> Some people get rid of their system tray from kicker, 
>because there really  aren't that many apps that you actually need it for.

Well, I like it, but I can see how you might want to get rid of it.

>In this case, if the
> thing hides to the system tray and that has no representation, it can keep
> on running, showing you as online, when you think it is closed... That
> could go on for weeks/months/years (welcome to the stability of Linux).
Oooh, that is trouble.  

> I have actually found, while playing with Kopete controls, that you can
> select 'Start in system tray' or whatever that option is, 

"Start docked" for future reference.

> and then when you
> go to start it up next time, you have no window, but the thing is running,
> if you don't have a visible system tray.  This gives the significant
> impression that Kopete is somehow b0rken :-/ Given that new users expect to
> play with such options, a check in there to start up normally if no system
> tray is found, would be nice.

Excellent point - I now understand.  Please, please add it to the usability 
report.

> I still think close=close is nicer, though :) (stubborn)
I now see why you want it, but I still respectfully disagree.  Play with the 
disconnect button, though, and see if there's anywhere that can be improved 
to meet your needs.

Cheers,

EE
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