[Pidgin] #4986: automatic chat input field resizing should be optional, regression from 2.3

[Pidgin]

#4986: automatic chat input field resizing should be optional, regression from 2.3
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  Reporter:  swbrown       |       Owner:                   
      Type:  enhancement   |      Status:  closed           
  Priority:  minor         |   Milestone:                   
 Component:  pidgin (gtk)  |     Version:  2.4.0            
Resolution:  wontfix       |    Keywords:  chat input resize
   Pending:  0             |  
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Comment (by megaloman):

 Replying to [comment:275 rekkanoryo]:
 > Replying to [comment:272 DanLivingston]:
 > > I teach "Collaboration in an Open Source World" at a local college.  I
 have been searching for, and in this ticket have found, a perfect example
 where communication between open source developers and users fails at
 multiple, fundamental levels.
 >
 > [[BR]]
 > You are making a fundamental mistake here in assuming that communication
 has failed.  The fact that we aren't willing to undo our UI changes is not
 a sign of communications failure.  We have listened to the whining, the
 complaining, the threats, and the few well-presented and logical arguments
 we've received.  We are working to improve the changed UI; reverting this
 is a step ''backwards'' in the development process that we're not willing
 to take.
 [[BR]]
 As far as I can tell, he is actually right. You (developers) claim, that
 you want to ''improve'' your brand new idea, which is actually broken by
 design. Don't get offended. I have tried this new improved ''feature'' and
 I cannot stand it, I cannot get use to it. And communication has failed,
 because you don't listen your users. Your users don't ask you to revert
 that, they ask to make it '''optional'''.
 [[BR]]
 > As I noted in another ticket related to the automatic resizing, we had
 similar numbers of complaints about our changes to the buddy list and
 status UIs in the transition from 1.5.0 to 2.0.0.  The complaints died
 down after several weeks.  The loss of protocol icons as status indicators
 is a dead issue and has been for many months now.  The change to a status
 selector that is a first-class citizen in the buddy list window also
 caused some friction that died down after a short time.  The same will
 happen with the input area resizing given time.
 [[BR]]
 What about another annoying feature ''smooth scrolling''? thanks god, it's
 optional now. how long did developers insist, that it cannot be optional?

 [[BR]]
 > None of us develop Pidgin as a function of our job.  Pidgin is a hobby
 for us.  We don't claim to represent a community--we claim to make an IM
 client that meets '''our own needs''' and ''hopefully'' meets others'
 needs as well.  We aren't forcing anyone to use our software, nor are we
 profiting from our users.  As you noted, we have the autonomy to make our
 own decisions.  We are the people putting forth the development effort,
 and therefore we have a right to decide what goes into our software.
 > Quite simply, it doesn't matter if we have one user or six billion users
 outside the developer community.  We have long understood that we can
 never please all our users with our single user interface--it's simply not
 possible.  Because of that, we do not aim to please all our users, but
 instead to please ourselves and hope that we have pleased like-minded
 users.  We encourage users whose needs are not met by our software to find
 other software that does meet their needs.

 [[BR]]
 I am a developer too and I cannot stand that attitude, I just don't have a
 words. How can you say something like that? You don't care about your
 users? Major linux distributions are including your software as a default
 IM - that's a responsibility you should care of. You're not writing this
 just for you, you're writing it for millions of users. And following your
 website “''If you are a regular user, we encourage you to let us know
 about any problems you encounter and to provide us with suggestions for
 improvement.''” - we are asking about an improvement, make it
 '''optional'''.

 [[BR]]
 > > For the sake of everyone involved, I hope you find your path back to
 the light.
 > We never strayed from our path.  The Path to Enlightenment is unique for
 each individual.

 [[BR]]
 Do more ''features'' like that, you will eventually get ''Enlighten''
 without any users supporting and using your software. That will be sad,
 but maybe with your ''Enlightenment'' you will understand, that sometimes
 it's easier to say ''Sorry guys, we made a wrong decision''.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://developer.pidgin.im/ticket/4986#comment:276>
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