readd options

[Ankit Singla]

Jacek Lukas Wotka wrote:
> hi stu,
> thanks for the response.
> first of all, i am sure you are able to see where a sentence starts. 
> there's a full stop in front of it, or nothing in front of it.
> i thus regard it as redundant.
> however i don't think this should be the thing to discuss here.
>
>
> Stu Tomlinson wrote:
>
>   
>> 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.
>>
>>     
> i quite harshly wrote "i don't care". by this i meant it is an 
> information which i don't need or want to have in this place.
> some people like to have the list clean, and don't like to be distracted 
> by several different colours in the list. i don't claim that to be the 
> mainstream opinion, of course.
> at least dim idle buddies should be an option again. also the idle time 
> doesn't need to be in the buddy list (it's in mouse-over anyway).
> simpler is better, i agree with this. but i think there was some kind of 
> exaggeration in the past "remove as much as possible".
> in the first place the word simpler means "a simpler way or a less 
> confusing way to do it" not "no way to do it".
>
>   

Removing the idle time is most definitely possible (Buddies->Show->idle 
time)

> as a side note:
> maybe a bit of the problem was the invention of all these different (i 
> think some are redundant) availabilty modes by icq or whoever did this 
> first, which are since unquestioned. in older versions all icons where 
> more uniform (in colour).
>
> how about a "clean mode"/"minimalist" buddy list?
> - small icons
> - no buddy icons
> - only online/offline distinction
>   

I'm not quite sure what the problem with having all the current 
statuses. There really is more than just an online/offline distinction. 
Since people often use away messages for status messages, it's been a 
little bit fuzzy, but otherwise, away means AFK (don't expect a reply 
but you can leave messages), available means I'm here and want to talk 
to you, offline means I don't want to be contacted. You can also already 
have small icons and no buddy icons by turning of buddy details (also in 
the Buddies->Show submenu).

>   
>>> - sending with ctrl+enter
>>>       
>> This actually is possible, and is addressed in the FAQ:
>> http://developer.pidgin.im/wiki/Using%20Pidgin#HowdoImakeEntermakeanewlineandCtrlEntersend
>>     
> i know this. to me it's mostly a hack. it should be readded as an 
> option. how could (or did) such option confuse the user anyway?
>
> additionally i am curious if you ever made a poll which options are 
> useful to the users and which are not.
>
> i am a user. naturally this is only my point of view. generally every 
> user has different needs. i used the word "enraged" becauce naively 
> expressed this was what i felt: without asking an options were removed 
> which i did use and found great because everybody could do as he pleased.
>
> thanks so far.
>
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>   
Ankit