Shoutbox

Firstly, thank you all involved for creating an absolutely brilliant little app that enables me to do all of the things I've been grumbling that Messenger hasn't been able to do for years! And more!

I wish I had stumbled upon it sooner.

Its installation was smooth, I particularly liked the option to opt out of the sponsor because ultimately, I would have found a way to kill it off... and I would like to give a special mention to the simple fact that 'Msg+' is not intrusive to the aesthetic of the main Messenger program. It doesn't hijack the interface or litter it with crap, and compliments the feature set very simply... and seemingly, very efficiently.

Now, I've been using/configuring/checking out some of the features to this most current version (3.54.132 - May 23rd 2005) for a good week now, and I believe I have stumbled across some features that can be improved upon to make this fantastic little thingamy even more intuitive.

They are as follows:

- RSS feeds. Msg+ can already tell me about email in a selection of different acounts, it would be extremely useful to have Msg+ compatible with the news feeds that are increasing in popularity on the net in a very similar vein. Keeping me up to date on my favourite news through the one app.

- Comeback Messages. Is it possible to program an icon change with this feature? For example, I choose an offline user, type in my message, and then upon setting any time restrictions I might desire, the little red character changes colour (to say, blue) to signify a message 'in waiting'. It reassures and reminds me that such a message is awaiting distribution to the contact. If the message is set to expire it simply changes back to red.

- Msg+ Identity. Another simple icon change to detect a contacts capacity to accept Msg+ only features. Something as simple as the little green online character having a red (+) where the round circle of the head was situated on regular users would do the job rather well.

- Personalised Status List Tickbox A simple tick graphic next to a personalised status that I choose to use would be greatly appreciated in that list under 'More Statuses'. At the moment, I don't create an external identifier so the header bar does not change. It remains '(Away)' etc... A tick next to the Personalised Status that I am using would help me to identify that such customization has been applied. I've also noticed that I can't seem to simply utilize the basic MSN Messenger labelling and just apply 'auto-response' messages for the different reasons I might be away.

For example, I'm (Away), but I am away because I have had to go to the shops. So I set the appropriate programmed Personalised Status describing this but maintain the standard (Away) identifier.

And on another occasion I might use the same (Away) identifier as a visual aid to me cooking in the kitchen... so I would use the same basic MSN Messenger identifier to illustrate the point, aside from a different Personalised Status response list that would dictate the point. I can't seem to do that. (Does that make sense?! )

I sincerely hope that these suggestions can be considered, as this Msg+ extension has so far improved my instant messaging through MSN Messenger 100% thus far, with no detrimental effect, and I would like that to continue.

Thanks for your time.


SketcH

quote:

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Originally posted by SketcH
- RSS feeds. Msg+ can already tell me about email in a selection of different acounts, it would be extremely useful to have Msg+ compatible with the news feeds that are increasing in popularity on the net in a very similar vein. Keeping me up to date on my favourite news through the one app.

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You can use this plugin to achieve that... http://shoutbox.menthix.net/showthread.php?tid=34...d=334399#pid334399

quote:

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Originally posted by SketcH
- Comeback Messages. Is it possible to program an icon change with this feature? For example, I choose an offline user, type in my message, and then upon setting any time restrictions I might desire, the little red character changes colour (to say, blue) to signify a message 'in waiting'. It reassures and reminds me that such a message is awaiting distribution to the contact.

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this hasn't been suggested yet, but it is a good idea

quote:

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Originally posted by SketcH
- Msg+ Identity. Another simple icon change to detect a contacts capacity to accept Msg+ only features. Something as simple as the little green online character having a red (+) where the round circle of the head was situated on regular users would do the job rather well.

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not possible yet, but if you look in the contact information window (right-click the contact in the contact list -> messenger plus! extras -> contact information), you can check wether the contact has plus! (with /ping) and see if you have done it before (and see those results, D'UH )

quote:

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Originally posted by SketcH
- Personalised Status List Tickbox A simple tick graphic next to a personalised status that I choose to use would be greatly appreciated in that list under 'More Statuses'. At the moment, I don't create an external identifier so the header bar does not change. It remains '(Away)' etc... A tick next to the Personalised Status that I am using would help me to identify that such customization has been applied.

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good idea

quote:

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Originally posted by SketcH
I've also noticed that I can't seem to simply utilize the basic MSN Messenger labelling and just apply 'auto-response' messages for the different reasons I might be away.

For example, I'm (Away), but I am away because I have had to go to the shops. So I set the appropriate programmed Personalised Status describing this but maintain the standard (Away) identifier.

And on another occasion I might use the same (Away) identifier as a visual aid to me cooking in the kitchen... so I would use the same basic MSN Messenger identifier to illustrate the point, aside from a different Personalised Status response list that would dictate the point. I can't seem to do that. (Does that make sense?! )

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i'm sorry, i didn't understand that part, could you explain it in a different way please?

With regard to the 'ping' thing. I know of that method, however, the other user is generally pretty alarmed when the word 'ping?' pops up on their window for seemingly no apparent reason... and I find myself explaining what I was doing... which the average contact on my list doesn't really understand anyway.

It's a pain.

The other item that I may have typed in a somewhat confusing way, put simply, means that I cannot use the inbuilt MSN identifiers for more than one personalisation status.

Rather than displaying (Sleeping) etc... I'm quite happy to use the ones that are available and can be seen by everyone whether or not they use Msg+.

If the 'tickbox' under the 'more statuses' list was included, and this problem fixed, I could vary the auto responses attached to the standard (Away) etc... identifiers by a selection in that 'more statuses' menu.

Therefore I could be (Away) etc.. for multiple reasons, dependant on the one I decide that best fits my state of (Away).

___________________________________________________________

More Statuses------- MSN ---    Away
                         '                             --------------------- Sleeping AutoResponse
                         '                             --------------------- Eating Auto Response
                         '                             --------------------- Gone Out Auto-R
                         '                    Busy
                         '                            ---------------------- Working Auto-R
                         '                            ---------------------- Cooking Auto-R
                         '                            ---------------------- Etc...
                         '                    Etc...
                         '                            ---------------------- Etc...
                         '                            ---------------------- Etc... (Tick shows use)
                         '                            ---------------------- Etc...
                         '     
                         ' --Plus! ----   Sleeping (New ID)-------------- Sleeping Auto-R
                                             
                                              Gone Out (New ID)------------- Gone Out Auto-R
                                             
                                              CounterStrike (New ID)------- CS Auto-R

___________________________________________________________


^ That any clearer?



SketcH

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With regard that RSS link. It appears to be a Beta. With problems.

I'm not a big fan of using unstable Beta releases. They can potentially cripple my PC, and I have a lot of university coursework on this rig that I don't want lost or damaged through an unstable Beta.

Call me paranoid, but I prefer to be safe than sorry.

A built in or 100% stable plugin would be preferable. As I imagine Msg+ version upgrades might create problems for plugins that were built for earlier versions of the software.

As for the RSS plugin, you may have to wait for it to become final.

Hi.

Another small thing I've just noticed that I thought to share; pressing the Enter key in the 'Comeback Message' window doesn't enable paragraph spacing, strangely.

Given that there is already an 'ok' button to close the window and set the message as 'in waiting', why have two keys that do the same thing?

Being able to set paragraphs in that window would be useful to break up information.

(EDIT= Right click 'cut,copy,paste' is also unavailable, which is odd. I personally use the keyboard shortcuts anyway... but the average user might not. Handy for pasting web urls to mates. Speaking of which, do web urls appear on the other end as clickable links through this thing?)

Cheers.


SketcH

URLs probably are clickable the other end. I don't see why they wouldn't be.

As for making the textbox more user-friendly, it should be.

quote:

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Originally posted by SketcH
pressing the Enter key in the 'Comeback Message' window doesn't enable paragraph spacing, strangely

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You can use Ctrl+Enter for that.

quote:

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Originally posted by SketcH
Given that there is already an 'ok' button to close the window and set the message as 'in waiting', why have two keys that do the same thing?

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In many places in Windows pressing OK and Enter is the same thing. I realise that that is a rather unsatisfying explanation though.

quote:

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Originally posted by Tochjo

You can use Ctrl+Enter for that.

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I hadn't seen any documentation that mentions that. An issue similar to this appeared in ICQ. An option to swap settings was included as some members found the inability to insert paragraphing using the command that most text editors use a little 'backwards'.



Could Msg+ author the same kind of alternative setting option?

Cheers.


SketcH

quote:

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Originally posted by SketcH
Could Msg+ author the same kind of alternative setting option?

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If you mean that Enter will result in a new line and Ctrl+Enter will send the message, then this won't be implemented. You can read an extensive discussion about it at Enter Vs Ctrl-Enter etc to send a message

('Enter' to insert line. 'OK' to send message, in this Msg+ instance. )

Hmmn, fair enough... I understand the argument.

However, as that ICQ image above shows... this one singular tickbox differentiates not only personal preference, but casual users to 'power' users.

And as it's been asked before on these boards, its possible implementation is still very valid.

As ICQ discovered, and that image illustrates.

EDIT= JUST TO CLARIFY. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE 'COME-BACK MESSAGE' WINDOW IN MSG+ ONLY. NOT THE STANDARD MESSAGE WINDOW. THE ICQ REFERENCE I'M USING WAS FOR THEIR STANDARD MESSAGING WINDOWS.

All-in-all though, I don't believe I came across any documentation or description that 'Ctrl-Enter' would insert paragraphing into that specific window. Perhaps that would be the easiest and quickest thing to address for the benefit of the average user. Should no action be taken to change the setting.