[jdev] Do Not Disturb, Directed Presence, etc
Dave Cridland
dave at cridland.net
Tue Jul 1 09:52:37 CDT 2008
On Tue Jul 1 14:50:49 2008, Jonathan Dickinson wrote:
> I think the base problem here is that people don't read. I may set
> my status to DND, but I promise you I will get some idiot contact
> wanting to partake in some small talk.
>
>
You appreciate you're implying that you think at least some of your
contacts are idiots? :-)
The thing is, "absolutely necessary" - as you describe it later -
means different things to different people, and it seems pretty
obvious to me that you wouldn't be in dnd mode if you weren't
available to at least some degree. The problem is that it's difficult
to know what degree that is.
> I think the solution, really, would be the flashing red lights and
> 'do you feel lucky punk' as Pedro said. Ultimately this takes:
>
> 1. The client (program) who is in do not disturb mode to:
> a. Provide non-intrusive and brief alerts.
This seems sensible - so you'd essentially tell your client not to
disturb you.
> b. Allow the user to respond with a predefined message by
> interacting (a la attended predefined response, Nimbuzz has
> something like these).
I hadn't a clue what Nimbuzz is. Still don't, actually, because
apparently I need to use a "supported browser" - gosh, how '90's.
Given that I do indeed use a supported browser, and they just haven't
realised, I hereby pronounce them brain dead, and will ignore them
forthwith. (I'd say they can just "Nimbuzz" off, but that's too
obvious, so naturally I won't).
In any case, there's no real need for this - sticking yourself in dnd
is not a one-bit datum, you can provide all sorts of information in
the <status/>, or in various exciting PEP things, to provide useful
information as to *why* you're "dnd", and avoid auto-replies of this
nature entirely.
> 2. The client (program) who wants to contact the user in DND to:
> a. "This user has asked not to be disturbed and should be
> contacted only if absolutely nessecary" should be displayed at the
> top of the chat window.
> b. Possibly an annoying confirmation dialog on the first message
> sent. "Are you sure you want to disturb this person?" Or even
> requiring that the user press an annoying key sequence like
> CTRL+Enter to send every message.
>
>
Ah, the "My users are idiots" style of UI design - a self-fulfilling
marketing technique.
Both of these, of course, imply that dnd is a message to the contact
- considering it as a directive to the client which in turn contacts
might wish to consider when attempting to engage the user is an
interesting concept.
Let me explain in a more clarificational manner by way of an
expositional example:
Suppose I'm cheerfully typing rubbish, as is my wont, when the phone
rings. I stick my client into dnd, with a status of "on the
telephant".
Now consider that Kev Smith has an urgent need to exchange vapid
drivel with me. He may observe his client, which in turn informs him
that I am "dnd", and moreover either on the phone, or possibly an
elephant. However, his meaningless tomfoolery is, he feels, of
dramatic importance to me, thus and so he sends it anyway.
My client, however, knows that I have asked it not to disturb me, so
therefore it supresses its normal cacophony of bleeps, and merely
displays Kev's claptrap in an unobtrusive manner, to await my return
to the computer.
Now, although Kev never receives my blather and poppycock in return,
he does not take offense, because he is fully cogniscent that I am
not rude, but merely busy. (To be fair, he doesn't know I'm not being
rude, but this at least need not be the reason for my lack of twaddle
in return.)
When I do return the phone to its cradle, however, and return my
client to its normal availability, it may notify me in a vibrant and
exciting manner that Kev has sent me pending piffle, which I can then
respond to with tommyrot and malarkey.
The alternative plan is that, whilst engaged upon the phone, I choose
to repond to Kev, in which case, I can - and furthermore, I might
instruct my client that, to Kev, I am no longer "dnd", in which case
his balderdash will cause my client to plaintively ping, ding, and
possibly even dong as is its wont. I would assume it would also send
directed presence to Kev to inform him that - should I not respond in
a timely manner with bunkum of my own, then I am in fact being rude.
(Or, alternately, I'm making myself a cuppa.)
I hasten to add that I do not ever never spout nonsense, and any
resemblance to any Kev Smiths, real or imaginary, is entirely
coincidental.
Dave.
--
Dave Cridland - mailto:dave at cridland.net - xmpp:dwd at dave.cridland.net
- acap://acap.dave.cridland.net/byowner/user/dwd/bookmarks/
- http://dave.cridland.net/
Infotrope Polymer - ACAP, IMAP, ESMTP, and Lemonade
More information about the JDev
mailing list