Notifications and ideas. (Not the notification/tray thing)

[Kevin Francis <kevin loose-screws com>]

in my use of the gnome desktop (2.4 now), I've always found myself
wanting one thing: Notifications.

When i mentioned this on gimpnet someone thought I was speaking about
the notification applet ... I speak rather, of the Windows XP style
popup bubbles that alert you of things. Snicker all you like, but they
have something there.

I admit that it's mostly an annoying thing in Windows, notifying people
of silly things like desktop icons being unused, or the like. However,
there could be good use for something like this.

Take for instance, GAIM. This application is the most annoying one on my
desktop because of the fact that it steals focus at any available
opportunity. It pops up a dialog box to tell me it got disconnected.
Another to tell me it's reconnecting, and it steals focus again when i
get a message.

Imagine though, if we have notifications. We could just flash a discreet
notification in a little bubble. It doesn't steal focus, it just
displays a small dialog, on top of everything else, that disappears when
clicked or after a certain time period. 

Get a message that starts a conversation? popup a bubble. New email?
Warnings? Got disconnected?
They all can use this notification thing, rather than popup a window
that takes time to click or alt-whatever closed. ( and with a feature
that i just stole from longhorn, a history window for past notices ...
would be excellent. )

Just something that bugged me for a while. Someone suggested I write a
lib for it. I would, however between work/college ... well you get the
picture.

PS: No offence to GAIM. I just take issue with their focus issues.
-- 
Kevin Francis
I am selectively blind.