[request] - idle status display

[request] - idle status display - Printable Version

-Shoutbox (https://shoutbox.menthix.net)
+-- Forum: MsgHelp Archive (/forumdisplay.php?fid=58)
+--- Forum: Messenger Plus! for Live Messenger (/forumdisplay.php?fid=4)
+---- Forum: Scripting (/forumdisplay.php?fid=39)
+----- Thread: [request] - idle status display (/showthread.php?tid=62395)

[request] - idle status display by milkbox on 07-03-2006 at 08:20 AM

Can a script be written that would show/indicate when a contact is idle? This feature used to be in the old msgplus, I think, (Idle) appeared next to the contact's name when he or she's in that state. Currently what happens is that we still need to mouseover the contact because it only shows the tiny little circle that appears for when someone's away or on brb.

This would really be a big help. I'd write the script myself if only I could.

RE: [request] - idle status display by CookieRevised on 07-03-2006 at 09:49 AM

This was never a feature in Plus!3. To show idle instead of away with contacts who were idle you had to patch messenger yourself.

However, now in Plus! Live this patch is included. So it is integrated into Plus! Live (only). If you hoover over a contact you'll see the status of the contact. If it shows 'idle' that is Plus! Live's doing:

Plus! > Preferences > Customize > Main > Show contacts as Idle instead of Away when appropiate.

The problem you have is that now in Windows Live Messenger, the name of the statusses isn't shown anymore after the nickname. This is because MS has decided to remove it. There are however some patches floating around which maybe can add this back to WLM. But be aware that some patches break compatibility with Messenger Plus! and even disable some other functions in Windows Live Messenger itself (like sharing folders) if not applied properly.

PS: for those who wonder: no, this can not be added back with a script as you need to patch the resources before messenger loads them.

RE: [request] - idle status display by Tartooob on 07-03-2006 at 09:54 AM

You can just use MessPatch or A-PAtch and Check the option to show IDLE users. =]

RE: [request] - idle status display by milkbox on 07-03-2006 at 10:12 AM

Yep, I have mine patched... weirdly I still don't see anything. Anyway, thanks for the replies.

RE: [request] - idle status display by CookieRevised on 07-03-2006 at 01:10 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Tartooob
You can just use MessPatch or A-PAtch and Check the option to show IDLE users. =]

This will not do what milkbox has requested.

That patch will do exactly as the option in Plus! Live I described in my previous post. It will replace "Away" with "Idle" if appropiate; it will not add the status names after the contact names.

RE: [request] - idle status display by RudeYute on 07-06-2006 at 12:12 AM

I'm sure mess patch had an option to show statuses... it did for earlier (beta) versions of WLM, I know that.

RE: [request] - idle status display by milkbox on 07-06-2006 at 07:19 AM

The patches' Show Idle Users option does show users as idle but only when you've mouseovered the contact. It doesn't show on the contact list.

RE: [request] - idle status display by giken on 07-06-2006 at 09:29 AM

I'd like a script to show idle time, not only the status

RE: [request] - idle status display by CookieRevised on 07-06-2006 at 11:27 PM

quote:
Originally posted by giken
I'd like a script to show idle time, not only the status

true idle time can't be 'shown'/calculated. What can be 'shown'/calculated is the time the user is idle since you have seen him as idle (eg: a user might already be idle before you come online).

Note the use of 'shown'... It is put between quotes because there are 2 problems with this:

1) Currently the status name (whatever it is) isn't shown anymore in the contact list of Windows Live Messenger. As described in some previous posts this can be added back with certain patches (though, patches might always break compatibility with addons etc).
This can't be done with scripts.

2) You can not change what is shown in the status name (if it is shown at all) after the contact name with a script. Plus! itself could do this.
PS: when custom names are added back, it might be possible to dynamically change a custom name so it includes the idled time though. Or you could maybe do some other workaround with a script, but directly changing the status name is not possible.

RE: [request] - idle status display by wlmcrap on 07-08-2006 at 07:39 AM

I made a script that shows wen contacts go idle. the only problem is that it shows it with a toast (if thats not what you wanted).

I can post the download tomoz (Australian time).

NOTE: It does not calculate how long long the contact has been idle for.

RE: [request] - idle status display by milkbox on 07-08-2006 at 11:26 AM

You can actually already do this with the Events Notification feature.

RE: [request] - idle status display by wlmcrap on 07-08-2006 at 09:44 PM

Yer so it duzn't really matter if i post the download. I'mm jst post it anywayz 4 noobs that dunno that you can do it with the Events Notification feature. lol

RE: RE: [request] - idle status display by ArielFAF on 07-21-2006 at 08:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by CookieRevised
However, now in Plus! Live this patch is included. So it is integrated into Plus! Live (only). If you hoover over a contact you'll see the status of the contact. If it shows 'idle' that is Plus! Live's doing:

Plus! > Preferences > Customize > Main > Show contacts as Idle instead of Away when appropiate.

Hi,

have activated the option "Show contacts as Idle instead of Away when appropiate" and my question ^o)

is how much time lapses since the contact is idle until your state appears in my msn?

Thanks. Ariel.-

RE: RE: RE: [request] - idle status display by CookieRevised on 07-22-2006 at 12:45 AM

quote:
Originally posted by ArielFAF
have activated the option "Show contacts as Idle instead of Away when appropiate" and my question is how much time lapses since the contact is idle until your state appears in my msn?

There is no fixed time. it depends on what the contact has set it to, as well as other things. Same goes for your own idle status...

Some people will become idle after 1 minute, some people after 99 minutes,... or whatever...

Notes:

the Idle status is something that is send to you automatically, it is not requested or anything. It is just another, but undocumented, status in Messenger (hence no invasion of privacy either if someone want to say something about it)...
If someone is "Away" (instead of "Idle") it doesn't automatically mean he is at his PC; The use of the Idle status can be disabled, hence you never know for sure if someone is Away he truely is away or not...
If someone is "Idle" (instead of "Away") it doesn't automatically mean he is not at his PC; The Idle status can be invoked and even forced by addons like Messenger Discovery X (And can even be set in Windows Live Messenger to be signed in with if you know how problem is that it will jump to Away since the PC will detect you're active as soon as you have been signed in since you pressed the sign in button).
The "Idle" status depends on your MSN Messenger setting: "Show me as away when I'm inactive for x minutes". If you didn't tick that feature, then you will never be in "Idle". Hence you still can be truely away when you set your status to "Away".
Thus it is only after x minutes of inactivity that your status will be set to "Idle", and only if you have that option ticked.
Inactivity also means no touching of the mouse.
It is possible that your Messenger will never switch to Idle, eventhough you have set it todo so. This has todo with the fact that certain programs on your PC can prevent the PC from detecting that the system is idle/not in use.