Version:            (using KDE KDE 3.3.0)
Installed from:    Gentoo Packages
OS:                Linux

Kopete is a really good Instant Messenger, but it's user interface is not as good as the technology underneath.

To start with icons used. My experience with users and kopete is that users misunderstand some icons, they are:
   - Settings/Configure Kopete/Accounts: People like to think they contacts go there, since there is a person pictogram. Possible solution: adopt another icon like the kaddressbook one.
   - Main Window/Add Contact: everyone I know that uses kopete misunderstand that icon the first time and take some time to get used to it. The problem is that the icon is the same as for bookmark and no one seems to understand what the relationship between bookmarks and friends. People using the Crystal iconset often clicks the "Status" icon instead. Possible solution: a user picture with a "+" (plus) sign over it. It could be the icon used in Accounts or even the KDM's default2.png icon or something like that with the "+" over it.
   - Main Window/Show Offline Users: the icon used now is the one used for searching things. Possible solution: use the same base icon as for "Add Contact", but without the "+" sign and grayed or sleepy face, maybe not gray totaly since it will look like it's disabled. Other solution: a sleeping smiley, but this may looks like the user will be away himself.

Window Size: seems that the chat window doesn't define a size or define a wrong one. My chat window starts at 200x267 and it doesn't fit anything.


Chat Window Toolbar Bloat: after the "bad" icons, this is the biggest source of problems. Users are shocked with the amount of buttons, and the first thing they say (to me) is: "Wow, I'll never understand all these buttons." And they don't need to.
   - Format Toolbar: Bold, Italic, Text Color are okay. But underline, background, font chooser, font size, and 4 buttons for alignment is too much! This is almost a KWord KPart!   The best solution IMHO is to split the Format Toolbar in 2: 
      * "Format Toolbar": bold, italic, text color
      * "Advanced Format Toolbar": background color, font size and alignment (but please group those into just one button). This should be disabled by default, these items are all in menus.
   - Main Toolbar: 
      * Add Smiley and Animation are okay for sure. Although I don't use them, many people add smileys using the toolbar and the animation effect is desired while the network operation is running.
      * Detach and Close are not that used and are available in Menu and in the Tabs, like in konqueror, so they may not go in chat win by default.
      * Cut, Copy and Paste: I question these here. There is the (in)famous argument that people are used to the Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V concept, but my argument is other: Instant Messages are used for quick communication and so short messages, probably not even multi line (send on Enter was _requested_ and accepted!), so if one doesn't know the Ctrl+C/V  he may type the message again or use the menu.
      * Save, Print: I wonder how many save their chats or print them! If you're talking to a special girl or an important talk with your boss/employee, but that's not the common case and these items are in Menu, so no functionality is lost.

Contact List Popup Menu: I think it is too big. 
   - There should be no "Send single message" since it's in Edit menu (not that Edit menu should contain send message, but it's another story).
   - Move and Copy to should be more explicit: Move to Group and Copy to Group.
   - Special groups like "Top Level" should be differentiated from user created groups.
   - Accounts should be under a label "Contacts" or something else, something that make clear you will act on just one contact.
   - In usability list is well know that you shouldn't have same icons for different actions. The icon purpose is to find action quickly, but if you have the same icon for "Send Single Message", "Start Chat" and "Send Mail", the same for "Remove from Group" and "Remove Contact", you are just confusing users. There's no problem leaving an item without an icon, instead: users will know the less important actions.
    - Since many users don't understand the Meta Contact concept very well and don't even use it, maybe kopete should offer a customized popup menu for meta contacts with just one contact. These special cases are not that good, since the popup will change, but the point is the popup is too big and doesn't make access to often used features fast. There are two many items at the top (Send File, Send Email, Single Message and Sync KABC) that makes users give up on using that menu since they don't find the action, that is in a specific account sub menu.
    I would like to propose:

   [ <META_CONTACT_NAME> (<STATUS>) ]
   Start Chat...
   Actions> 
   -----------
   Rearrange>
   Remove Meta Contact
   Add Sub Contact...      <--- "sub contact" is not a good name, I know.
   Rename Meta Contact
   [ Sub Contacts ]        <--- "sub contacts" is not a good name, I know.
   gsbarbieri@jabber.org
   ...
   -----------
   Properties

Where:
    Actions:
       Send Single Message...
       Send File...
       Send Mail...
       Sync Addressbook...
    Rearrange:
       Move to Group>
       Copy to Group>
       Remove from Group <GROUP_NAME>
    Add sub contact: Doesn't ask for protocol there, if there is more than one, ask for it in the add contact window.


KTip: Kopete should add some ktips with the first being the meta contact concept.


I hope we can disscuss these points and improve kopete usability.