Bug 90405 - Event notification in KOrganizer / Kontact UI inconsistency
Summary: Event notification in KOrganizer / Kontact UI inconsistency
Status: CONFIRMED
Alias: None
Product: korganizer
Classification: Applications
Component: general (show other bugs)
Version: unspecified
Platform: openSUSE Linux
: NOR wishlist
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: kdepim bugs
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2004-09-28 16:58 UTC by Volker Blum
Modified: 2007-08-14 21:38 UTC (History)
0 users

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Description Volker Blum 2004-09-28 16:58:27 UTC
Version:            (using KDE KDE 3.3.0)
Installed from:    SuSE RPMs
OS:                Linux

* In KMail, there is a series of well-defined options for new mail notifications - e.g., if you do not have sound on your system for any reason, you can select new mail notification through a small popup window which does not steal your focus ... etc.

* In KOrganizer, the system for event notification is totally different. You can either select a sound to be notified by (but you have to set it yourself, which is all but obvious from the event setup window), or you can select a program to run at the specified time (this functionality is also available by means of a completely unexplained button). 

* In Kontact, these two apparently so similar actions appear totally at odds, giving the impression of no UI consistency whatsoever.

My wish: Unify the "New Mail" and "Event Notification" dialogs - if you ask me, throw out the two buttons which set up the KOrganizer event notification and simply take what you already have in KMail - hopefully not much work, but it would be a great improvement in functionality.

For me, personally, all I need is to have KOrganizer notify me of a new event in exactly the same way as KMail notifies me of new mail: A small popup window which does not steal my focus, and that's it.

Thanks!

VB
Comment 1 Reinhold Kainhofer 2004-09-28 22:04:16 UTC
On Tuesday 28 September 2004 16:58, Volker Blum wrote:
> For me, personally, all I need is to have KOrganizer notify me of a new
> event in exactly the same way as KMail notifies me of new mail: A small
> popup window which does not steal my focus, and that's it.

Nope, KOrganizer needs to be more intrusive, because missing an important 
appointment is much more critical than missing that you have new mail. In 
particular, if you are away from your computer, the notification for new mail 
will be gone, without big consequences, but the alarm reminder for that 
important meeting, or the reminder of your girlfriends birthday should 
certainly not (as it might cost you your job, or some terrible fight with 
your mate).

Put into other words, kmail just ist some informational notification, while 
korganizer really needs to bother you, and you need to confirm.

Reinhold
Comment 2 Volker Blum 2004-09-29 09:17:33 UTC
Hi Reinhold,

thanks for the quick answer. 

I see that your description might fit some people's needs/use of KOrganizer, 
but not mine. Honest.

For some people, for instance a focus-stealing pop-up window might be the best 
choice. [KMail has such an option too, incidentally, but not KOrganizer as 
far as I could determine.] For others, like me, event notification can be a 
little reminder. Sound, the only default shown in KOganizer [except for 
running your own little program] is not an option for me.

My reasoning:

(a) A user interface should be about choice, not a theory of what the typical 
user might need [that is usually why KDE is so much better than, e.g., M$]

(b) and just in case I missed something, the event notification option must be 
findable by a long-time user, i.e. best right with the event properties

(c) I do not have sound, I need to have another option, and one can not expect 
an average user to "write a little script that creates a focus-stealing - or 
not - popup window" [that's my only option for a popup window now, or else I 
totally misunderstood the selection dialogues in KOrganizer]

(d) My sincere apologies, because I have followed the Kontact efforts for a 
long time, know how much time went in, and am overall much impressed, but ... 

but (d), the selection dialogue for event notification in KOrganizer is 
extremely cryptic for someone who uses it the first time - much in contrast 
to the very well explained selection dialogue for new mail notification in 
KMail, the very same framework.

I therefore stand by my wish, and hope that my reasoning is now better 
understandable. On the other hand, I do not want to annoy anyone with useless 
complaining (I was hoping to do something useful by this feedback).

Is this message a better topic for the mailing list, rather than the bug 
(wish) report? Should it be redirected to /dev/null? If you think either of 
these, please let me know, and I will repost.

Thanks again,

Volker


On Tuesday 28 September 2004 22:04, Reinhold Kainhofer wrote:
> ------- You are receiving this mail because: -------
> You reported the bug, or are watching the reporter.
>
> http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=90405
>
>
>
>
> ------- Additional Comments From reinhold kainhofer com  2004-09-28 22:04
> -------
>
> On Tuesday 28 September 2004 16:58, Volker Blum wrote:
> > For me, personally, all I need is to have KOrganizer notify me of a new
> > event in exactly the same way as KMail notifies me of new mail: A small
> > popup window which does not steal my focus, and that's it.
>
> Nope, KOrganizer needs to be more intrusive, because missing an important
> appointment is much more critical than missing that you have new mail. In
> particular, if you are away from your computer, the notification for new
> mail will be gone, without big consequences, but the alarm reminder for
> that important meeting, or the reminder of your girlfriends birthday should
> certainly not (as it might cost you your job, or some terrible fight with
> your mate).
>
> Put into other words, kmail just ist some informational notification, while
> korganizer really needs to bother you, and you need to confirm.
>
> Reinhold

Comment 3 Reinhold Kainhofer 2006-11-02 19:19:59 UTC
Reassigning all KOrganizer bug reports and wishes to the newly created 
korganizer-devel mailing list.
Comment 4 Maciej Pilichowski 2007-08-14 21:38:31 UTC
Does this report is not a bit of duplicate of:
http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=80406

Because the main problem is lack of unification -- or simply lack of KNotify subsystem. Having passive windows or not is subproblem, and well, it is solved by KDE notifications indeed. You just check appropriate option.