[jdev] Jabber Community Site : Call for Help

[Julian Missig]

On 4 Oct 2004, at 18:46, Mikael Hallendal wrote:

> Sounds a bit over the top to try to guess what client would be best 
> depending on what other IM clients the user has used. And also, imho 
> the usability of ICQ sucks, and presenting the user with something 
> much easier to use might be a better drive then presenting him with 
> something very similar.

I never said I thought ICQ was good, but regardless of how "easy" 
something is to use, presenting the user with something most similar to 
what they're used to will always be less disruptive for them than 
presenting them with something completely different.

Sure I may not agree with ICQ's UI or Psi's UI, but ICQ users will 
still find Psi easier to use than something like Trillian or 
Gossip--just because it's similar. I was just using Psi/ICQ as an 
example because I feel that the Psi/ICQ interface deviates from the 
norm quite a bit. Kind of like WinJab (or Exodus with one-window style) 
would be very very odd to an ICQ or AIM user trying to use it like they 
used ICQ or AIM.

I just think that since we already /have/ all these clients mimicking 
different kinds of UI, we might as well point people in the direction 
they'd be most comfortable with.

Yes, it's odd logic, but it's logic that most of my sources of HCI 
education seem to agree with. It's the same reason that companies try 
to switch away from Lotus Notes but fail. Unfortunately you can't fight 
all UI battles at the same time.

And yeah, guessing based on info like that is over-the-top, but it was 
just an idea. Something that in my perfect world an end-user Jabber 
site could do.

Julian
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