[Pidgin] #34: Voice/video support

[Pidgin]

#34: Voice/video support
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  Reporter:  MarkDoliner  |       Owner:  seanegan
      Type:  enhancement  |      Status:  assigned
  Priority:  minor        |   Milestone:          
 Component:  libpurple    |     Version:          
Resolution:               |    Keywords:          
   Pending:  0            |  
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Comment (by rekkanoryo):

 Replying to [comment:24 mpathy]:
 > As I explained, that it is really the problem that you guys developing
 it, doesn't use one, and also the people you get in contact with. Perhaps
 because of different general lifestyles or something, but that doesnt mean
 that a big group of people using it altough. And especially the young
 generation, the teenagers of today - here in germany I barely know someone
 (especially on the girls side, but it doesnt matter much) who doesnt own
 and use one. So perhaps its a regional trend, but such countries like
 germany, switzerland, austria and france are not soo little countries.

 It is not truly a problem that we don't use webcams or communicate with
 people that care to.  Voice and video support is not a critical feature,
 no matter how much some people may think so.

 > If Skype @ Linux also put their webcam support from the windows version
 also to the linux version, and Kopete improves its general crashiness,
 Pidgin will stand relatively on their own - but not in a positive way.
 (People mostly using Skype or Yahoo or MSN for web cam chats.)
 >
 > You dont know anybody who owns a webcam? As hiddensanctum says, pretty
 much are built into laptops - and people buying a pc often get one for
 free, as an extra, because a mic and a webcam are extras who doesnt cost
 them much.

 This depends on where you buy your hardware and if you care enough to look
 for a model that does or does not have a camera built in.  There's also
 the issue of bundling the minimum necessary to get the box to sell, which
 leaves webcams out of a lot of models.

 > As I said, when I talk with people and finding out they want to do such
 stuff I tell them to use Kopete (most of the time I say also KDE, to avoid
 some hassle) before having to tell them, "well, Pidgin is a fine stable
 program, but if someone asks you to webcam - what you won't see because
 Pidgin doesn't even display a message that someone is trying to do webcam
 with you - you have to log out and log in with Kopete.."! I hope its clear
 what I am trying to tell you.

 That's all fine and well.  We have long contended that we will never be
 perfect, nor will we ever be the best client for everyone.  Different
 people need and want different things, and therefore no single client can
 ever meet all these needs and desires.  Note also that development
 resources are finite--we don't have a team of developers who truly care
 about any of this voice and video support '''and''' have time to
 contribute to that goal.  If we had developers who cared and had time,
 we'd have had voice and video support years ago.  If Kopete has this kind
 of development power, good for them.  We don't.

 > What was the joke with the MMORPG about? Looks like you people didn't
 get the point. It must be some gnome-related stuff that I don't get
 answers in a serious and aware way.

 It was a joke keyed on the fact that seanegan's statement was ambiguous.

 > Like with GIMP - they don't want to build in CYMK support because of
 such stuff like "I doesnt use it - nobody uses it" or "We have some kind
 of workaround" or "It isnt this important" - and the opponent, Krita, has
 it in from the beginning. So once it is more mature and stable, people who
 dont only do RGB pictures for the internet, but want to do print related
 stuff switching to that.

 The GIMP is completely irrelevant here.  There is no reason to bring it up
 here.

 > So Gnome will end up some day as "linux desktop for geeks" and KDE as
 the "linux desktop for the normal and productive user" Perhaps its
 something who is wished but it shouldnt be.

 GNOME vs KDE is completely irrelevant here as well.  We are not a GNOME
 application, nor are we a KDE application.  The fact that we happen to use
 the same widget toolkit as GNOME does '''''not''''' make us a GNOME
 application.

 At any rate, this is all completely beside the point.  The point of this
 ticket is to provide a '''''useful''''' place for development discussion
 and tracking on voice and video support for those working on it, not to
 provide a place for whining and wishful thinking.  Users, please do not
 comment on this ticket further unless you have something to contribute to
 the actual development of this feature.  "Me too"s and other comments not
 directly helping the development of voice and video features are only
 going to pollute this ticket unnecessarily and take time away from those
 caring to contribute.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://developer.pidgin.im/ticket/34#comment:25>
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