Re-think the window paradigm
Why is the "buddy list" always a separate window? It's like the UI for every IM client has just copied this awkward design without thinking about it. It's especially strange because most plain old IRC clients have a single-window design, but as soon as you make it an IM client, even though the usage is extremely similar, people automatically think you have to have a separate contact window list
It would be great if the buddy list and the conversation window were all in a single window, much like IRC clients like X-Chat do.
Combining the two windows solves a number of problems:
- It's easier to tell people how to use the client. I hate having to say, in your "buddy list" menu...no not this conversation window...go to your buddy list, etc.
- If you use compiz and you use the scale feature (a.k.a., expose), if the buddy list happens to be open, it consumes a whole bunch of space, and while the compiz algorithm could be better tuned to handle tall windows, it's not right now and it's annoying.
- It's just harder to manage multiple windows. Simplify!
And in general, the buddy list tends to get in the way. Sure, you could probably fix some of that problem under the current multi-window model, but I don't think it makes much sense to.
Please be the first to re-evaluate the separation of these windows.
I like the idea.
You got my vote.
totally agree...how do i vote for this?
I don't know how you vote for things. Is there voting at all?
Yet another case where the separate buddy list is annoying: It's too possible for the buddy list to end up on a separate virtual desktop than the current chat window, so when you want to IM someone else, you have to go find the buddy list window.
I would rather have a combination of three options: dock the buddy list to the side of the screen, auto-hide the buddy list, and don't let the buddy list show up in the taskbar.
This one is optional.. A buddy or contact list is separate because it provides a tiny window area. A small window area is too handy and is why I would assume a natural paradigm shift FROM mIRC style. I am unconvinced as to your argument for user support. Also how do you plan to simplify on multiple windows? mIRC was group channels, private chats were multiple windows too.. Am I missing something here?
I think perhaps a user option to keep the separate window layout or select a buddy list with a slide-out/pop-out conversation window on the side might be nice.
I absolutely don't like the idea of having a single enormous window always floating around my desktop, which is why I like the ability to have just the buddy list showing.
This strikes me as change for the sake of change. There are less-intrusive solutions to the problems mentioned so far, and doing this causes new problems for which no solution has been proposed.
I like my separate buddy list. I have hundreds of people on mine, and I only bring it up when I'm looking for the person to whom I need to talk. The rest of the time, it's out of my way; but my chats, I need up where I can see them. Totally different form factors make sense for these two different things.
The only place this makes sense is chat rooms, and Carrier already DOES those in the same window as the chats.
While it's a neat concept -- it's not particularly useful for an instant messenger. With X-Chat (or most IRC clients for that matter), you're actually in a chatroom, and that list of people is in the room with you.
Pidgin/Carrier looks the same when you're invited into a group chat in msn, with all the people listed on the right...it'd look a bit funny to have that nested inside another window with yet another list (your contact list).
Skype 4.0 is using this layout and it's incredibly awkward. I don't want my IM client taking up the entire screen, I like to be able to IM people as I read articles, watch movies, etc. Making it one giant window takes away the ability to functionally multitask, in my opinion.
I think that the best way to approach this type of a GUI would be placing tabs, e.g., Contact Tab, Chat Tab, etc. Though the Chat tab should probably be inviable until either activated by the user or incoming message. Then there would have to be multiple tabs under the Chat Tab if multiple chat lines have been activated. I can kind of visualize it, I think it would come out with incontrovertible results. There should also be an option to enable/disable this GUI if there are some who would rather stick to the old fashion type.
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Edit 0039 hrs
I decided to try and build what I was visualizing in GIMP and this is what I came up with, I didn't have the Carrier icon so I stuck with the pidgin icon. This is just a basic visual that came to mind.
External Image Link
Interesting idea, but if it makes the chat window bigger per se, I'm not for it personally. I have my contact list hidden most of the time, I've always really liked the classic sleek ICQ style contact lists, as opposed to MSNs bloatier window. Perhaps there is a way to incorporate the contact list in a chat window (or the other way around if you will) but allow said list to be hidden in some way. There is a lot to be said for making it one window, but probably only if it's implemented without making the window huge.
why not have a chat window, with the buddy list as a hidden window pane. then when youre chatting, you can just click on a button (or keyboard shortcut) to open up the buddy list within your current chat window, then you can choose who you want to chat with and when you choose that person, their chat window opens up as a new tab or new window (whichever way you prefer)
basically, the same idea, except that it can be hidden.
To summarize the disagreements:
1. A unified window would take up too much space.
I think those who are saying it would take up too much space think that being able to access buddies from a single window would suddenly make the window huge. It really doesn't have to be that way. There are any number of ways of hiding the buddy list when not in use.
2. A unified window can't suit both the form of a long list of buddies and a chat dialog
As far as the "form factor" being too different, I don't really think this needs to be a problem either. There are a lot of apps that have a long list of stuff combined with a more square working area. That doesn't make it necessary to break the apps into multiple windows. Consider e-mail. You could have one long window for folders, one wide window for message list, and another window for message viewing. Now all your windows are in proper form factors. Or you could just keep them together because it's easy to manage. Easier management is what I'm suggesting.
I'm surprised that anybody would consider this to be "change for the sake of change." I laid out three significant reasons at the start as to why the current idea is poor, and yet people think that the only reason I have for suggesting such a thing is "change." I think I could have come up with more reasons for disliking separate windows if I wanted to.
The point is really to avoid having an extra window that clutters the desktop, gets lost, and is sometimes a pain to get to again. If anyone has a better way of addressing the problems I've mentioned, I'd like to hear it.
Okey-doke; you listed three problems:
1) Clutters the desktop. Solution: close it.
2) Gets lost. Solutions: close it (it's in the system tray), or set it "Always on visible workspace", which any decent window manager supports.
3) Pain to get to again. Solution: it's on your system tray. If you're using a window manager that makes things like this difficult to manage, use a better window manager.
There; solutions for all your problems already exist.
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