Re: [GnomeMeeting-list] To attention of Damien Sandras: offers for GM's wishlist...

["Damien Sandras" <dsandras seconix com>]

Hello,

Le 27/2/2004, "info" <5740 mail ru> a écrit:

>We use GM since november 2003 as main office intercomunication
>tool (instead of "traditional" office phonestation). It's about
>10 most active users with very different qualification: the
>highest is sysadmin, but not a programmer (it's I), the lowest
>is girl on reception, her qualification is so low that she have
>troubles with sending-receiving emails :-/ (but she succesfully
>used GM).
>
>Each of our GM users make about 10-30 videoconferences per day.
>


That is a very good news, knowing that GnomeMeeting is used
professionally in some companies is always a good thing!


>So, after 4 month of daily practice with GM, I want to ask you
>to add some features to Gnomemeeting. That features are
>necessary for using GM in such manner as we do it (i.e. as
>office intercom), but I think that they can me usable in other
>cases too.
>
>1. "Fast-call" panel.
>

[...]

That is implemented in the 1.00 release. You can associate speed dials in
the address book menu to most frequently called users. For example, 1
will be Damien Sandras. Then you can call 1# and Damien will be called.

All users who are in the address book and who are associated to speed
dials are displayed in the call menu; so you can simply select that user
using the menu and he will be called.


>2. Hotkeys.

In 1.00, you can associate shortcuts in the menu to any menu entry, and
thus to speed dials too.

>3. Size tunability of popup windows
>
>We tune our GMs in such manner that remote video appeared not in
>the main GM's window, but in new windows. We do it because that
>windows appeared on the decktop that is active in moment when
>call begins.
>But in our GM 0.98.5 that popup windows are small even if large
>size of video setted in main GM's settings. On our mind, it
>must be size tunability for both types of popup windows (i.e.
>remote and local video).
>
>In addition, it will be good if recirient's name will be
>displayed in popup windows in such manner as it done in main
>GM's window.
>


It works in 1.00 too, you can resize the windows and you have the
recipient name printed in the window title. The windows will remember
their sizes between sessions.

>4. Microphone muting/unmuting.
>
>Now, when GM sits in tray and wait calls, microphone isn't
>muted. It caused problems with noises in speakers...
>Of course, microphone can be muted/unmuted manually by mixer...
>But it's not a comfortable way if you have 10-30
>videoconfereces per day...
>
>So, it must be pair of user-selected feature in GM's settings:
>"automatically mute microphone when call ended" and
>"automatically unmute microphone when call begins".
>

You should always keep the Mic muted, even during calls. That function is
misnamed, it won't put the volume to 0, it will simply mute the
electronic feedback.


>5. Simultaneous calls
>
>On our practice, it's often needs not "full" videoconference
>(i.e. when 3 or more peoples communicates all together)... It's
>will better to illustrate by example: boss call me, we speak,
>but in this moment some visitor come to reception and secretary
>call boss to report about this visitor... I don't need to see
>secretary's face, and hear her woice, and she don't need to see
>my face and hear my words addressed to boss only... But boss in
>this situation needs to see both our faces and hear both our
>voices...
>


I'm not sure it will be available in GnomeMeeting one day, the way to
achieve this is to use OpenMCU from openh323.org. However, support for
several calls at the same time is planned for 1.x but it won't be for
simultaneous calls , but to be able to switch between active calls.

>6. Conference encryption
>
>This is the last wish to wishlist. Of course, the encrypting of
>videocoferencing can be provided via soft like IPsec, Freeswan
>etc. (i.e. by making virtual private network), but it isn't the
>best way. It's lockstep, in this case encryption will be
>avaliable only for members of this VPN.
>
>So, we think, that encryption's usage in videoconferencing must
>be such easy and flexible, as it is in e-mailing now. If you
>and I both want communicate via encrypted e-mails, we can do it
>very easy, without any VPN, isn't it?
>

That's right, that feature is planned.

>In another words, as minimum in case of two-sided
>videoconference (i.e. 2 peoples speaks) the correspondents must
>have possibility of encryption's switching-on by
>"one-button-click" (i.e. button "Encryption" in main GM's
>window). I think, this isn't very difficult to built into GM
>something like ssh-like connection between 2 computers.
>Cryptographical algorithms is in linux kernel now...


That is far more difficult that what you imagine, but it is doable, yes...

>
>This is all for this moment. We will glad if at least some of
>our wiches will be included in you TODO.

Most of your wishes are implemented in 1.00, which is a very good news.
We will release it next week. Perhaps it would be a good idea to
upgrade, try it, and tell us your feedback, in other words, even if we
implemented things in another way than what you are suggesting, is it
good or bad for your use.


Thanks!


>
>And I hope that my bad English doesn't prevent understanding of
>our offer's essence.
>
>Best regards, and good luck!
>
>George
>
>
>
>
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