cocoaforge

memark wrote:revolution, "need to choose" is highly subjective imho. Perhaps I don't really care which account receives the message, since she's logged on to all of them anyway?

It's hard to find an equivalent example, but here's one try. Suppose setting the message font and size is really important to me. How would you like the font window to be displayed automatically each time you open a message window? It would go away when you send your first message of course. Or would you rather have it use the default (the font you used last time)?

Yes, it's a different thing, but the principle is sort of the same: Not all people will agree on what is necessary in a given situation.

It's not a matter of what a user "likes" or "wants", it's a matter of necessity. In your example, the font pange is not necessary, even if a user really, really wants it to appear all the time; but the Source/Destination menu is. If you are logged onto two accounts, and you have the same contact on both accounts, how is Adium to know which account you wish to message from? Likewise, if you have a meta contact, and the user is signed on with both accounts, how is Adium to know which account to send a message to? It's necessary for the program to function.

I still think the examples are equivalent in this aspect. Adium internally chooses a font for you, just like it can choose a default account to send the message from. In none of the cases is it absolutely necessary to have the user make the choice.

Also remember that we're not even talking about changing the default behavior. This would just be an option.

As for "necessity," if someone always wants to accept the default to/from selections made by Adium, then the widget no longer needs to be displayed at all. Heck, even if they want to use the to/from defaults "most of the time," it'd be wise to choose to configure the widget not to show unless requested. And in all cases, it'd still possible to request if if/when needed.

Personally, when I get an IM, I always want to reply to the the account that the IM came from (and that seems to be the default). I only have one account per service, so there's never any question of where to reply "from."

memark wrote:I still think the examples are equivalent in this aspect. Adium internally chooses a font for you, just like it can choose a default account to send the message from. In none of the cases is it absolutely necessary to have the user make the choice.

Sure, it's not absolutely necessary. But I was irradiated when that test bomb was set off in the desert. You don't want to make me angry.

JCS wrote:Also remember that we're not even talking about changing the default behavior. This would just be an option.

As for "necessity," if someone always wants to accept the default to/from selections made by Adium, then the widget no longer needs to be displayed at all. Heck, even if they want to use the to/from defaults "most of the time," it'd be wise to choose to configure the widget not to show unless requested. And in all cases, it'd still possible to request if if/when needed.

Personally, when I get an IM, I always want to reply to the the account that the IM came from (and that seems to be the default). I only have one account per service, so there's never any question of where to reply "from."

I have 4 aim accounts, and prefer replying on specific accounts. Since you only have one account per service, you won't even get the popup, but to me it is very useful.

memark wrote:I still think the examples are equivalent in this aspect. Adium internally chooses a font for you, just like it can choose a default account to send the message from. In none of the cases is it absolutely necessary to have the user make the choice.

But the similarities end there. A font is nowhere near what an account is. Choosing a default font for the user is no big deal, most users don't care.

Choosing a default account for someone with 2+ accounts is life threateningly emotional at best, and at worst spiteful, unless they can choose it on their own. People with 2+ accounts are different from people who decide "I hate helvectica"

The_Tick wrote:

memark wrote:I still think the examples are equivalent in this aspect. Adium internally chooses a font for you, just like it can choose a default account to send the message from. In none of the cases is it absolutely necessary to have the user make the choice.

But the similarities end there. A font is nowhere near what an account is. Choosing a default font for the user is no big deal, most users don't care.

Choosing a default account for someone with 2+ accounts is life threateningly emotional at best, and at worst spiteful, unless they can choose it on their own. People with 2+ accounts are different from people who decide "I hate helvectica"

Very true, Tick. Where I got messed up is when I have accidentally initiated an IM with someone from the "wrong" account.

Since you only have one account per service, you won't even get the popup, but to me it is very useful.

But I do see it when the other person has more than one account on the same service (even though I always want to reply to the one the original IM came from).

JCS wrote:

Since you only have one account per service, you won't even get the popup, but to me it is very useful.

But I do see it when the other person has more than one account on the same service (even though I always want to reply to the one the original IM came from).

When someone IM's you, you see more than one account for that person?

As far as I can recall, yes. Of course, no one I know with multiple accounts on the same service is online so I can't confirm it...

Anyway, I do know that I often see the bar, and that I have never, not once, changed one of the menu selections.

Are they a meta contact?

Yep, looks like it, if that's what the word "Meta" under their icon in the Info window means

JCS wrote:Yep, looks like it, if that's what the word "Meta" under their icon in the Info window means

Then it'll always pop that up

Yeah, seems that way. I wish there was a way for me to make it stop...

(...and so, we're back to where we started )

memark wrote:I still think the examples are equivalent in this aspect. Adium internally chooses a font for you, just like it can choose a default account to send the message from. In none of the cases is it absolutely necessary to have the user make the choice.

Adium technically does make a choice (the menus have preset options); if a user likes the default options, all he needs to do is type and send a message immediately (which he is doing anyway), and the menus disappear.

I find it interesting that people are complaining about this piece of UI appearing when they don't want it; I actually have often thought the opposite: I don't understand why the account selection bar isn't always there when I'm talking to a metacontact, or at least why I don't have the option to have this be the case...