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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: [kopete-devel] Re: Improving Kopete user interface and usability
From:       Matt Rogers <mattr () kde ! org>
Date:       2004-11-09 15:37:40
Message-ID: 200411090937.40430.mattr () kde ! org
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Hi,

See http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2000-March/002828.html to find 
out what the +1, -1, +0, -0 junk is. :)

On Tuesday 09 November 2004 08:52 am, Richard Smith wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Gustavo: I'm moving the discussion from bugzilla to kopete-devel. As Matt
> said, bugzilla isn't a great place for complex, far-reaching discussions.
>
> I'm using ASF / python-dev voting notation:
> http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2000-March/002828.html
>
> On Tuesday 09 November 2004 12:34, Gustavo Sverzut Barbieri wrote:
> > To start with icons used. My experience with users and kopete is that
> > users misunderstand some icons, they are:
> >   - Settings/Configure Kopete/Accounts: People like to think they
> > contacts go there, since there is a person pictogram. Possible solution:
> > adopt another icon like the kaddressbook one.
> >   - Main Window/Add Contact: everyone I know that uses kopete
> > misunderstand that icon the first time and take some time to get used to
> > it. The problem is that the icon is the same as for bookmark and no one
> > seems to understand what the relationship between bookmarks and friends.
> > People using the Crystal iconset often clicks the "Status" icon instead.
> > Possible solution: a user picture with a "+" (plus) sign over it. It
> > could be the icon used in Accounts or even the KDM's default2.png icon or
> > something like that with the "+" over it.
> >   - Main Window/Show Offline Users: the icon used now is the one used for
> >   searching things. Possible solution: use the same base icon as for "Add
> >   Contact", but without the "+" sign and grayed or sleepy face, maybe not
> >   gray totaly since it will look like it's disabled. Other solution: a
> >   sleeping smiley, but this may looks like the user will be away himself.
>
> +1. If you could provide a list of icons which we should replace, and
> suggest replacements, I'll make the changes. If any icons aren't available,
> we can email kde-artwork to request them.
>

+1. _I_ have problems with the Add Contact icon and remembering what it does

> > Window Size: seems that the chat window doesn't define a size or define a
> > wrong one. My chat window starts at 200x267 and it doesn't fit anything.
>
> Is this bug #84627?
>

Probably. The problem then becomes, "What is a good default size for the chat 
window?"

> > Chat Window Toolbar Bloat: after the "bad" icons, this is the biggest
> > source of problems. Users are shocked with the amount of buttons, and the
> > first thing they say (to me) is: "Wow, I'll never understand all these
> > buttons." And they don't need to.
>
> Yes, our chat window toolbar has too many buttons.
>
> > - Format Toolbar: Bold, Italic, Text Color are okay.
> > But underline, background, font chooser, font size, and 4
> > buttons for alignment is too much! This is almost a KWord KPart!
>
> You're right. Bold, italic and foreground colour are probably the only
> formatting options of those available that are frequently used.
>
> > The best solution IMHO is to split the Format Toolbar in 2:
> >       * "Format Toolbar": bold, italic, text color
> >       * "Advanced Format Toolbar": background color, font size and
> > alignment (but please group those into just one button). This should be
> > disabled by default, these items are all in menus.
>
> +1. If no-one objects, I'll make this change.
>

+0. I can see people griping because they don't have all the text options 
available. However, since only one of our protocols supports full RTF, I 
don't guess it matters now that the Format Toolbar stays hidden.  Also, I 
think a kconf_update script would have to be written that will hide the 
Advanced Format Toolbar when the Format Toolbar is hidden.



> > - Main Toolbar:
> >       * Add Smiley and Animation are okay for sure. Although I don't use
> >          them, many people add smileys using the toolbar and the
> > animation effect is desired while the network operation is running.
>
> Yep.
>
> >       * Detach and Close are not that used and are available in Menu and
> > in the Tabs, like in konqueror, so they may not go in chat win by
> > default.
>
> Just a note: everything is (or at least should be) available in menus.
> That's no argument for removing something from the toolbar.
>
> However, I *never* use these buttons. +1.
>

+1 here too.

> >       * Cut, Copy and Paste: I question these here. There is the
> > (in)famous argument that people are used to the Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V concept,
> > but my argument is other: Instant Messages are used for quick
> >          communication and so short messages, probably not even multi
> > line (send on Enter was _requested_ and accepted!), so if one doesn't
> > know the Ctrl+C/V  he may type the message again or use the menu.
>
> I use at least paste. -0.

-0 as well. People who know that Ctrl+Enter allows you to enter a new will 
send longer messages.

>
> >       * Save, Print: I wonder how many save their chats or print them! If
> >          you're talking to a special girl or an important talk with your
> >          boss/employee, but that's not the common case and these items
> > are in Menu, so no functionality is lost.
>
> +1 on removing Print. +0 on removing Save.
>

-1 on removing Save. +1 on removing Print. Save is the easiest way to store a 
conversation and possible take it with you. I've also used it on occasion. 
I've never used Print.

> > Contact List Popup Menu: I think it is too big.
> >    - There should be no "Send single message" since it's in Edit menu
> > (not that Edit menu should contain send message, but it's another story).
>
> "Because it's in the menu" is no argument, especially here. People don't
> select a contact then hit the Edit menu. Partly because selecting contacts
> is hard with single-click-to-activate on. -1.
>

Former ICQ users will still use 'Send Single Message' and it will soon become 
the only way to send a message to multiple recipients with ICQ. (Note that 
this is not the same as a group chat). -1.

> >   - Move and Copy to should be more explicit: Move to Group and Copy to
> >     Group.
>
> +0.
>

-1. Longer text for the translators, and IMHO, adding the word 'Group' doesn't 
add any sort of distinction as to what they do, especially since the menu 
that pops out is a list of groups. 


> >   -  Special groups like "Top Level" should be differentiated from user
> >      created groups.
>
> In the Move / Copy submenus? Differentiated how? I agree in principle.
> I think Top-Level should be kept at the top of the menu, with a separator
> between it and the other groups. And maybe it should be given an icon (used
> in the menus and in the contact list). In fact, I think all the groups in
> the Move / Copy submenus should use their own icons.
>
> >      - Accounts should be under a label "Contacts" or something else,
> >        something that make clear you will act on just one contact.
>
> +1 on this. Was going to suggest it myself. I was thinking of maybe:
>
> Contacts>
> 	Add Contact>
> 	---
> 	Contact 1>
> 	Contact 2>
> 	...
> 	Contact n>
>
> I think that would reduce clutter quite a bit.
>

+0. Although i don't like having to move my mouse through to *another* 
submenu...

> Maybe something similar could be done with the options Move, Copy, Remove
> from Group, Add to Contact List? (put them in a Groups submenu) Not sure
> about this.
>
> > - In usability list is well know that you shouldn't have same icons for
> > different actions. The icon purpose is to find action quickly, but if you
> > have the same icon for "Send Single Message", "Start Chat" and "Send
> > Mail", the same for "Remove from Group" and "Remove Contact", you are
> > just confusing users.
>
> Remove from group shouldn't have the same icon as Remove contact.
> +1 on removing its icon.
>
> As for Send Single Message and Start Chat, +1 on getting non-email-related
> icons for them.
>
> > There's no problem leaving an item without an icon, instead: users will
> > know the less important actions.
> >
> > - Since many users don't understand the Meta Contact concept very well
> > and don't even use it, maybe kopete should offer a customized popup menu
> > for meta contacts with just one contact.
>
> +0. But I think that metacontacts with just one contact should not get too
> much special treatment. They are not different, and users should not think
> of them as being different.
>

-1. -1. -1. People bitch at me because I want to keep metacontacts with an ICQ 
contact we're waiting on authorization for from being moved out of the group 
it's in to make my contact list handling easier. We won't special case 
metacontacts or contacts.

> >   These special cases are not that good, since the popup will change, but
> >   the point is the popup is too big and doesn't make access to often used
> >   features fast.
>
> Right-click on the contact icon for fast access.
>
> > There are two many items at the top (Send File, Send Email, Single
> > Message and Sync KABC) that makes users give up on using that menu since
> > they don't find the action, that is in a specific account sub menu.
> >
> > I would like to propose:
> >
> >    [ <META_CONTACT_NAME> (<STATUS>) ]
> >    Start Chat...
> >    Actions>
> >    -----------
> >    Rearrange>
> >    Remove Meta Contact
> >    Add Sub Contact...      <--- "sub contact" is not a good name, I know.
> >    Rename Meta Contact
> >    [ Sub Contacts ]        <--- "sub contacts" is not a good name, I
> > know. gsbarbieri jabber org
> >    ...
> >    -----------
> >    Properties
> >
> > Where:
> >     Actions:
> >        Send Single Message...
> >        Send File...
> >        Send Mail...
> >        Sync Addressbook...
> >     Rearrange:
> >        Move to Group>
> >        Copy to Group>
> >        Remove from Group <GROUP_NAME>
> >     Add sub contact: Doesn't ask for protocol there, if there is more
> > than one, ask for it in the add contact window.
>
> Counterproposal:
>
> [MC NAME (Status)]
> Open chat window using default interface preference [1]
> Actions>
> 	Start Chat
> 	Send Single Message
> 	---
> 	Send File
> 	Send Email
> 	---
> 	Sync with Address Book
> 	<plugin actions here>
> ---
> Groups>
> 	Add to Group>
> 	Move to Group>
> 	Remove from Group <name>
> Contacts> [2]
> 	Add Contact>
> 	---
> 	Contact 1>
> 	Contact 2>
> 	...
> 	Contact n>
> Rename Meta Contact [3]
> Remove Meta Contact [3]
> ---
> Properties
>
> Notes:
> [1] Obviously, a better name than this would be needed.
> [2] If only one contact is in the metacontact, maybe its menu should be
> shown here instead. In this case, I'm not sure what to do with Add Contact.
> [3] We had a provisional agreement that the term "Meta Contact" should not
> appear in the UI since users don't understand it. I think the term
> "contact" is appropriate, since it's what KAB uses. But then what do we
> call what we now call "contacts"? Subcontacts may be "not a good name", but
> I'm struggling to think of something better.
>

+1 for the counterproposal.

> > KTip: Kopete should add some ktips with the first being the meta contact
> > concept.
>
> +1.

-0. An IM program needs a 'Tip of the Day'?!? Also, do you really expect users 
to get or care about the meta contact concept? IMHO, unless we word it very 
carefully, we'll just end up confusing the user more, at least with that 
specific tip.

Matt
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