Re: [Ayatana] memenu and appmenu

[guido iodice <guido.iodice@xxxxxxxxx>]

2010/5/21 Conscious User <conscioususer@xxxxxxx>
>
> Part of messagING, as in "using an instant messenger", but not
> part of messagES, as in "an usual action when sending or

> receiving messages". The Message Menu deals with messagES.

The name is Messaging Menu: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MessagingMenu/
So I think you partly misunderstood its function.

> I can understand your use case, but I'm having trouble not
> considering it a corner one.

Corner cases concern less used functions, or infrequent combinations of more used functions. 
I'm talking about well-known functions and most usual combinations of them.

Moreover, all other interfaces similar to Ubuntu indicator (like dock in Mac OS X) work with the behavior that I will.
There is a reason, I think. The reason is usability and simplicity. Users expect this, IMHO.


> >From the messaging menu, you receive messages from specific
> senders.

From Messaging Menu, you can receive broadcast messages.

I cite:

Recommended behavior for feed readers and microblogging clients

A feed reader or microblogging client should register itself when you add any feeds or accounts, and unregister itself when you remove the last feed or account. It should also provide a “Show {Name of Program} in the messaging menu” checkbox in its settings.

For the purpose of the messaging menu, a new message is an unread item that the program discovered since the last time you (a) performed any action in the program or (b) selected the corresponding item in the messaging menu. Whether an item is important enough to include in the messaging menu may be configurable within the program.

A feed reader should provide one message source item for each feed that contains new messages. A microblogging client should provide one message source item for each account that contains new messages. (It should do this for all relevant feeds or accounts even though a maximum of six will be shown, because that maximum may change in the future.)"

Messaging Menu was 
designed for purposes wider than those that you mentioned.

I can receive a personal or broadcast message from the Messaging Menu, and I can send a broadcast message from MeMenu. 

To assign MeMenu to broadcasts and Messaging Menu to 1-to-1 messages is not in specifications.

Moreover: there is a very slight difference between broadcasts and 1-to-1 messages. Pretty each 1-to-1 instant messenger has a broadcast function (status, presence) and each social network has 1-to-1 chat. So I think a strong
 separation isn't in the minds of users, even in the mind of facebook/twitter/identi.ca/msn/jabber/sip developers and even 
less in the specification of Ubuntu indicators.


> You don't have to agree with the reasons and I myself do not
> consider them perfect, but assuming that they don't exist
> is wrong, and a little bit rude considering you could've

> tried asking for them before simply assuming it is a
> deliberately overlooked inconsistency. :)
>

You see, Mark admits the (partial) inconsistency and Mark know well what is MeMenu and Messaging Menu.

Frankly, you have a your own idea of them, that is slighty different from specifications.

I assume specifications exist and I read them.