I am a user of Spark and is the best “Open Source XMPP client”, but like all open source softwares have some unfinished details, this details corrected will make Spark an better xmpp Client: (please frogive my english)
1-> Spark client is too silent, it have sounds events, but they have to be activaded manualy; this must be fixed, the sounds should be activated by default and more dinamics sound, they have too short duration.
2-> The bell command shuld have sound it it should move the local and remote window (this will give a better sentation of comunication)
3-> Spark do not recieve rich text format( text in colors, etc. ), the user should have the option to change his text format in the chat window
4-> When a user recieve a message this apears directly in the front window, this give zero privacity when you recieve a private message and you are with people in the PC, this should be fixed too, the ROAR sistem is disabled by default, and it sucks. In Pandion apears a notification in a little box at the right corner
5-> The auto start of the spark is by defauld disabled, this must be changed with an option on the main conection window
This is valuable input. As you mentioned, Spark is a constantly developing software project and can be influenced by it’s users!
Im in particular interested in the “bell” button causing your local window to move as well as the remote. Currently only the remote window “wiggles”, and I find users sometimes use this feature way too often. If their local window “wiggled” too, perhaps they would use it less.
There is an option to have a task-tray popup letting you know you received a message, and of course the orange blinking tray bar notification.
Like more XMPP products, I think you will find they are more geared towards the “power users” of this world, and therefore most users know if they want to set the auto-start on boot option or not. However I agree that setting it to default might be good as this would increase user-base for those who install Spark and then forget about it…
Anyways, thanks for the input. We’ll see if we can get some of these requests into a future release!
Ok but all this options should be activated by defect, to show to the user the Spark features, if the user don’t like it, well… he can desactivate it. The dev always have to think in the newbyes user’s, you have to present your program atractive, usefull and full of stufs.
One more thing about the auto start, an Idea.
Set Spark to auto start in all the users sessions opened on the machine, when the program promp for -user -pass etc, give to the user 3 checkbox
1- Save password <— Not cheked (Save user and pass)
2- Auto login <— *Not cheked * (This will make the program auto log when it opens)
**3- Auto Start **<—This one checked (This will make te program start when the user session opens)
With this you will make when the session opens the user can be conected without give any clics (people hate clics)
If the user don’t like that the program autostart on his session ok, he can checkout the 3rd option DONE!!
Another thing I almost frogot, on the chat window… can you guys set an info event like: %user% is writing. You know what i mean, It will be more comunicative and will give info if the person is writing or not.
I believe Spark already does show a “user is writing” in the spark window (right above the text entry box). At least on version 2.7.0 beta it does for me.
Also, could you open a ticket for the “Auto Start” checkbox option on the login page? I think it may be a nice idea and worth checking into.