Re: bug-buddy sending options (Was: roadmap status update/update request)

["Gustavo J. A. M. Carneiro" <gjc inescporto pt>]

On Tue, 2005-03-08 at 20:01 +0000, Andrew Sobala wrote:
> On Tue, 2005-03-08 at 18:37 +0000, Marc O'Morain wrote:
> > Perhaps a "feature request" feature could be implemented into the
> > GNOME desktop, similar to bug buddy.
> 
> We do this.
> 
> > I have not thought about the user interface, but it would be very easy
> > to get some metadata from the user, with questions like 'What
> > application is the a feature request for'', etc.
> 
> That's what we ask.
> 
> > All these feature requests could be fed straight into a single
> > database on gnome.org, or filed in the relevant module in bugzilla as
> > low priority enhancments.
> 
> Indeed, we do this.
> 
> > If the requests go into bugzilla, then triaging would mark duplicates,
> > and the most requested features would show up in searches for the most
> > reported bugs.
> 
> Yes.
> 
> > If I were implementing this system, I would make bug-buddy add an
> > extra item to the [foot|appliction|action|places|whatever] menu,
> > titled 'Request a Feature'. This diaglogue box would ask the user what
> > program it is for, let them fill out a breif description, and put it
> > straight into the relevant bugzilla module as a low priority
> > enhancement.
> 
> So at the moment, you click on Bug Buddy and choose "Request a missing
> feature." All you're asking for is a menu item :)

  Sorry, a bit offtopic, but this reminds me something important...

  When, oh when, are we going to have bug buddy just use the default
mailto: handler to send bug reports?  Right now users get a silly pair
of options: 1. use sendmail 2. save to file; they both suck because:

	1. use sendmail:
		a) regular users don't know what sendmail is;
		b) many companies have firewalls blocking smtp;
		c) home users have to use the ISP's SMTP server; try to send email
without using a known relay and your email is most likely dropped as
spam by the recipient;

	2. save to file: what is the user supposed to do with an mbox file?  I
know, import in evolution and then send.  Too many steps, too
complicated to most people.

  What bug-buddy should do is just invoke a mailto: handler, and let
evolution/whatever send the email, using the options already configured
personally by the user, and which are known to work well.

  [ Another alternative, already discussed but turned down because of
missing XML-RPC bugzilla interface, IIRC, would be to open a webbrowser
with the bugzilla submit bug URL.  OK, so this could be more difficult,
so we could use the email handler instead for the time being. ]

  If we agree on this, I'll open a bug report.  Even writing a patch for
this should be fairly simple...

  Regards.

-- 
Gustavo J. A. M. Carneiro
<gjc inescporto pt> <gustavo users sourceforge net>
The universe is always one step beyond logic