Re: [GnomeMeeting-list] Poll

[Malcolm Caldwell <malcolm caldwell ntu edu au>]

On Fri, 2004-12-03 at 09:26 +0100, Damien Sandras wrote:
> Le vendredi 03 d�mbre 2004 �0:30 +0930, Malcolm Caldwell a �it :
> > None of the above.  My major concern is gm is to paternalistic.  What I
> > mean is it trys to protect the user from himself too much.
> > 
> > I work with video conferencing systems.  Polycom, tandberg etc.
> > 
> > The Gnomemeeting maximum of 100Kbps for video is a joke.  I know I can
> > go in with gconf-editor and change it to something more appropriate, but
> > *WHY* prohibit that from the GUI?  I know that there are underlying
> > issues with accurately setting the video bandwidth, but modern
> > processors can generate more than 100Kbps of h261.  So the question is
> > why protect the users from themselves???
> > 
> 
> To stay simple?

It is simple right up to the point where you want to increase the value!

>  By experience many users want things that just work. Now
> if it is really a problem, that can be easily changed. That's a one line
> patch.

I think it should be changed.  As long as the default is low it should
work well enough out of the box.

(As it is people look at gm and say "Oh, it is limited to 100Kbps!)

Why is having a entry for "Enable H.245 tunneling" etc simple, but
setting bandwidth >100Kbps not?

> > There are other issues with the ui which make it very
> >
> 
> What kind of issues?

Statistics tab comes to mind.  (No units on graphs etc, at high school I
would have been given a low mark for something like this :) )

There are ui issues with laptop use as well.  I think some of this has
been fixed - gatekeeper will now retry to connect, but afaik ils does
not?  Oh, and this is not really a timeout, but a retry interval.  The
last remaining 'laptop' issue is that of hot-plugging.   You see, often
when I connect to a mcu to perticipate in a meeting I forget to plug in
my camera, or forget to go into preferences and change the setting.  So
the first thing people see of me is the bouncing logo!  Now this is all
good advertising for gm :), but I would rather this did not happen.

I can get most of what I want. By running a script at startup to use
gconftool to set video input to /dev/video0.  Then when I connect I get
a warning that the device could not be opened.  Then I disconnect, plug
in camera, and reconnect and a way I go - no need to go to preferences.
This seems more 'natural' to me.  I don't see why I should have to go to
preferences - my preference has not changed just because the camera is
not plugged in.  Of course, others may see this differently.

> > While on the subject of gnomemeeting vs other vid conf programs.
> > Gnomemeeting must be the only programme in the universe where you mute a
> > microphone by clicking on a picture of a speaker.  There MUST be mute
> > icons withing the gnome project somewhere that can be used without too
> > much trouble.
> > 
> 
> I don't know if you noticed there is a "||" on the speaker icon, like on
> the video icon, that means "pause" on most players.

No.  I have never noticed the ||.  Perhaps it is a bit obscure?

Also, the description is a bit long.  Whats wrong with "Mute
Microphone"?

Also, I don't think by clicking on that you are 'pausing the speaker'
If you are pausing anything it is a microphone.  (Unless we are talking
about the 'remote speaker', but that does not make much sense.  Also,
what if the remote end has headphones! :)

> > The last issue is h263.  It is available, it should be able to be
> > included.
> > 
> 
> Feel free to take the responsability to distribute it.

Yes.  I have been thinking about doing this.

> > Now I *know* that there are reasons for all of this, and that some of
> > this does not come down to the gnomemeeting developers but, these are
> > still my 'concerns' about gnomemeeting.
> > 
> > Please don't get me wrong, I like gnomemeeting.  This is just MHO of how
> > to make it better.
> > 
> > > > 5) Regarding Skype :
> > > > 	a) I think Skype has a bright future
> > > > 	b) I'm using Skype and GnomeMeeting
> > > > 	c) I'm not using GnomeMeeting anymore now that there is Skype
> > > > 	d) I think GnomeMeeting has no more interest now
> > > 
> > > Perhaps we should add :
> > >           e) I think GnomeMeeting still has interest despite Skype
> > 
> > e)  Skype is not a contender for anything I use gnomemeeting for.
> > 
> > One last thing, There is a big question:
> > 
> > What *is* gnomemeeting?  We all know it is not an IM application that
> > also does voip. ;)  On the other hand, at the moment it seems to be
> > (mainly) voip application that can also do a bit of video.  I think this
> > is limiting things a bit.
> > 
> 
> I see GnomeMeeting as a VoIP and videoconferencing application.
> 
> What would you change?  If you answer me codecs, I will tell you we are
> legally limited.

Yes.  I know your position.

This is still a limitation of gnomemeeting, even if (as you say) there
is nothing you can do about it.

And again I will say: I like gnomemeeting.  Even the way it is!  But if
you ask me (and I believe you did), it can be improved! :)

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