Re: [Ekiga-list] Visual feedback when doing ekiga -c calls

[Alec Leamas <leamas alec gmail com>]

> Le mercredi 04 février 2009 à 13:27 +0100, Alec Leamas a écrit :
> > As of now, if a running ekiga instance makes a call started through 
> > "ekiga -c #" there is no visual feedback at all. Somehow, when I use 
> > this,  it creates a little uneasy feeling (despite the obvious audio 
> > feedback). Also, if I lose connection to my account (and thus can't 
> > receive or place calls), there is still the same green spot in the tray...
> > 
> > Thinking about it, from a user perspective there is really four states:
> > 
> > - "No dialtone" i.e., no registered account.
> > - Idle, ready...
> > - Connecting
> > - Connected
> > 
> > I think it would make sense to reflect all these states in the tray 
> > icon. Nothing like Skype, which throws up it's main window when a call 
> > is initiated - it just irritating when you work in another application. 
> > Maybe just change colour on the green spoot in the tray. Just to 
> > illustrate what I have in mind:
> > 
> > - No dialtone: Red spot, tooltip "No account registered"
> > - Idle: Green spot, tooltip "Diamondcard account registered" or "Two 
> > accounts registered"
> > - Connecting: yellow spot, tooltip "Connecting to "1111111 sip provider com"
> > - Connected: as today, tooltip "Connected to "111111 sip provider com"
> > 
> > Or?
>
> There is maybe a place for that in the main GUI rather than in the
> systray (the systray reflect your status already, mixing both status and
> connectivity will be overkill).
>
> I'm thinking about the quality meter at the bottom. It is always visible
> and except when you're in a call, it is pretty useless. No dialtone,
> idle and connecting can fill this useless, while connected would be
> where the quality info will be shown.
>
> Regards,
>   
Am I missing something?

When initiating a call, does the systray icon reflect that we are trying 
to connect i. e., is there any visual feedback at all when doing a ekiga 
-c #? As I see it, a call attempt which is not connected is more os less 
invisible for the user(?).

If I lose my account connection, is there any feedback then?  
Personally, I feel this is more important. I autostart ekiga, which 
makes sense, if you are logged in you want to be available. But as of 
now, I really have to check (by opening main window) "now and then" if 
the line is OK. Is a  green light representing a broken phone  reasonable?

Bottom line: user perspective really is really four states, but the 
current systray icon only reflects two: Connected or not.

To use the main window is better than nothing. But to have to open it 
just to check if there is a connection is not that good. And, as I said, 
the "ekiga -c" mechanism is most likely invoked when you work in some 
other application, and to show the main window then (like Skype) is just 
little irritating (?)

Reading what I've written it feels a little sharp. Hope you don't mind, 
English is not my native language, the nuances are not lost... I want to 
be friendly, but writes like God knows what. Have mercy with me :-)

--alec