readd options

[Stu Tomlinson]

On Wed, 2008-01-30 at 00:17 +0100, Jacek Lukas Wotka wrote:
> hi,

Hello!

> i'd like to point out that it is not userfriendly to remove options from 
> the preferences menue with increasing version number.

I'd like to point out that I doubt anyone has removed the Shift key from
your keyboard.

> i am kind of enraged that with every new version i have to adapt myself 
> to some other persons preference what gaim/pidgin should look like, 
> without being able to change it to my needs.

I am kind of enraged that the number of people unable to use proper
capitalization in their emails is increasing.

More seriously, removing preferences is a *good* thing for software
usability, and user-friendliness, quite contrary to what you are
claiming. Please see http://developer.pidgin.im/wiki/DesignGuidelines -
in particular the section on "Simpler is Better" and the referenced
essay. 

> if you think that some of the option that were removed shouldn't be in 
> the preferences window, then at least make it possible to change this 
> manually in the config file.

Actually, hidden preferences are *worse* than extra, visible,
preferences.

> especially i'm talking about:
> - dim idle buddies (i don't care who's idle, .. and i don't care how 
> long he is, as an extra option)

If you don't care for this, why does it bother you? If there is a real
usability issue here I would love to hear it.

> - an option to control the icons for the status (i don't care who's away 
> or busy), example: "only two icons: online or offline" vs. "the full 
> spectrum" (which is the default for now).

We already do have a restricted set of icons, we do not provide separate
distinct icons for every conceivable status where protocols provide more
than the subset we have determined require easy identification. Some
people actually have the opposite view to you. We have gone for a
compromise that we believe provides the best usability.

> - sending with ctrl+enter

This actually is possible, and is addressed in the FAQ:
http://developer.pidgin.im/wiki/Using%20Pidgin#HowdoImakeEntermakeanewlineandCtrlEntersend

> obviously the second thing has not been in pidgin/gaim yet. this is some 
> kind of proposal.

This doesn't look much like a proposal to me. I'd like to see some
reasoning behind why you think adding such an option is necessary.

> thanks for reading, i hope to get feedback on this soon.

I hope the above helps.

Regards,


Stu.