Shoutbox

Hi everybody,

This is my first post here. I've been using Plus! since the day it existed. I love it.
Yesterday the new 3.20 was released and I still love it. Especially floating contacts is great.

I have one great suggestion for future releases. Here goes:

Normally when you get a message a popup comes up, you hear a sound and a window is created in the taskbar. What would be great is if you would just here a sound and maybe a popup, but no window is created in the taskbar. Instead of the window there would be a 'message icon' in front of the user who sent you a message, either in your contact list, floating contacts, or both.
I've created a small screenshot of what I mean. Makes a lot more sense that way I think. I've included it as an attachment.

Let me know what you guys think..
Patchou, you rock!

i think that's a great idea

And where would the message itself (or for that matter: messages, icons, handwriting messages, etc. in short the whole convo.) be stored if you don't let a convowindow to be opened?

(and you would only have the icon in front of the contactname to know if someone has messaged you, which is very easly overlooked...)

i think it would mostly be used for when you're away, when you come back to your computer you can see who has left a message for you. it would be easily over looked while chatting with other people, but you could have the option turned off when your status is "online"

the message would still open a convo window, i dont think you can turn that off (only with the ignore feature on the stuff plug plugin, but that's another story) but the convo window would be minimized as it always is, and you could make it so the task bar entry of that convo window would be hidden (which i know is possible) so it would seem as if there is no convo window, but there really would be, if you know what i mean. so then when you double click on the contact that has left you a message (which you see with a flashing icon) it shows the convo window that already would have been made with the message they left and also shows the task bar entry

ask me any questions of course if you dont understand what i mean

(just incase you dont know, a task bar entry is the rectangle that appears in the task bar (the bar usually at the bottom with the system tray etc) of a program or window, i dunno how to explain, hehe, but im sure you know what it is)

[edit] here's a lil thingy i made showing what it could look like:

Great image, Jaguar. Exactly what I mean.

Patchou, do you think it is possible?

well its possible but i dont think it will be used in the next version coz patchou has some idea's to that he want to be created to msgplus but just keep it in mind it is usefull but not now at his moment

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jaguar
ask me any questions of course if you dont understand what i mean

---

yup, I understand, and it's exactly what I had in mind (also the hiding of the convo's)... but still I would think that some can be overlooked, especially in big contactlists. But that doesn't mean that it isn't a nice suggestion though; it could be very handy for people who don't like 20 flashing windows in their taskbar (although they could group them though).... It's only not easy to implement I guess (especially when you want the icon constantly flashing)

ok, cool about the issue of it being overlooked, if you know that this happens when you have it turned on, since you know when it's turned on you'll know that the messages will be stored like that, then therefore i dont think it would be overlooked at all since you would check your whole contact list for any messages left for you, like if you were coming back from being away.

one problem i can think of is that if someone leaves you a message, but they go offline before you get back to see that they've left you a message you would have to look through the whole list of offline contacts to see if anyone has left you a message like that. i thought of a solution to this which would be putting those people in a seperate group (like the mobile group). if you know what i mean.

i dont know how easy it is to implement or anything, i dont know much about that sorta stuff, hehe. but i think this would be a great option to have and i know lots of people would use it. if patchou doesnt want to put it in any later version of plus! then i think you, Energizer, should give this idea (or let me if you like) to a very good plugin maker

[edit] im up very late, it's 5am, lol, i dunno why im up so late, but i have nothing to do and no-where to go tomorrow so why not?

here's my list of what this feature should have: (am i getting too serious about this? i just think it's an awesome idea, hehe )

• when on "away" (or any status that you choose) the messages that ppl leave you should not show in a convo window, but the convo window should be hidden
  
• when a message is left you see a flashing icon next to the contact's name (where the standard icon is)
  
• their name should also be in bold to be seen more easily
  
• the convo window will still be opened, and the message will be stored there as usual and the convo window will be minimized as usual, so you cant see it
  
• but the task bar entry will be hidden so it seems like there is no convo window
  
• the convo window and task bar entry only appear when you double click on the contact's name that has left you a message
  
• if a contact has left you a message, but they've gone offline before you read the message, then they get put into a seperate group, called something like "Messages" just like the "Mobile" group, when you open their convo window you get to read their message and then they get put into the normal "Offline" group
  
• there should be an option where you can choose when the messages will be left like this in the contact list, for example: only when "Away", or on every status, or on every status besides "Online", etc..

ok i'll stop now hehe, just please make this feature in any upcoming version of plus! please patchou

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jaguar

• if a contact has left you a message, but they've gone offline before you read the message, then they get put into a seperate group, called something like "Messages" just like the "Mobile" group, when you open their convo window you get to read their message and then they get put into the normal "Offline" group

---

a bit useless IMO.... why would you want to have yet another special group, just for those? Just leave the contacts where they are (it would be difficult to implement all this already even without this part)....

Most people have different groups, so they need to check their entire list and their seperate groups anyways, so why not also checking the offline group (if your contacts are sorted like that in the first place though)

i though since the offline contact list is very long, but yeah, you're right