Some suggestions, bugs, wishes, etc

Spark Spark Support
1

Here are some things which have been encountered by the couple test users using Spark.

  • When loosing a connection to the server, all chat windows are closed. It would be nice if they would stay open even if connection is lost as not to loose sight of their last conversations.

  • Allow some kind of branding for distributing Spark with Spark Manager. Not necessarily logo etc… like Exodus but at least so that when a client downloads Spark through the Spark Manager links it is automatically configured for the given server, perhaps go a step further and allow it to be configured for a given user/password/server combination to make for semi automated installation. (I noticed another thread with a similar request)

  • The ability to change ones username as it is displayed. (ie: at present if someone’'s username is JohnD (firstname, last initial) it is displayed as johnd. If there was anyway to reformat it, wether to change its case or have it display fullname or anything else in the chat window it would be nice.

There are a couple other things mentioned in other threads, like dropping a file into a conference and making it available for all users present to download etc… I am going to try to install Spark in Wine so I can personally play with it instead of rely only on what the test users here are telling me so far people are quite impressed and on my end, I am very impressed with Wildfire !

Thanks!

RioGD

2

Hi Rio,

When loosing a connection to the server, all chat windows are closed. It would be nice if they would stay open even if connection is lost as not to loose sight of their last conversations.

This should already be the case with 1.0.3.

Allow some kind of branding for distributing Spark with Spark Manager. Not necessarily logo etc… like Exodus but at least so that when a client downloads Spark through the Spark Manager links it is automatically configured for the given server, perhaps go a step further and allow it to be configured for a given user/password/server combination to make for semi automated installation. (I noticed another thread with a similar request)

That’‘s a reasonable request. The only issue is that I really don’'t know about the server, except the link.

The ability to change ones username as it is displayed. (ie: at present if someone’'s username is JohnD (firstname, last initial) it is displayed as johnd. If there was anyway to reformat it, wether to change its case or have it display fullname or anything else in the chat window it would be nice.

This is already possible by changing your profile. Spark uses your first and last name of your profile, if one exists.

Cheers,

Derek

3

Hello ddman,

a) Closing of chat windows on attempts to reconnect

In regards to the loosing connection and chat windows being closed, it is still a problem as of 1.0.3, and I found a “somewhat” related bug here:

Forcing the behavior (by restarting the server) a prompt comes up regarding the connection loss, when proceeding from there it returns to the login window and closes all chat windows. I would vote for that bug in it being desirable behavior to attempt to reconnect silently (without a prompt requiring user intervention) and in addition that chat windows are preserved.

b) Branding of client from Spark Manager

Would there be any way to master the installation build on the server so you could “include” an xml file with the chosen settings to be applied during the installation ? As you pointed out this is more of a server thing so I can post about it in the Wildfire section, or I could bring it up with whomever is responsible for Spark Manager.

c) Displayed Username

After further investigation you are quite correct when chatting it shows everyone’'s Profile name, however it shows your own name to yourself as your username. That is what my users were complaining about, I thought it was all usernames in a conversation, not just their own. Would it be possible to adjust how your username looked to yourself in conversations ? I am guessing one particular user was concerned that his username DanielA (Daniel Anderson) was being shown to everyone as “daniela” and not just to himself, which is a natural assumption and a natural concern.

d) Logging interface

Are there plans to improve the client side logging ? Something with the ability to search for things, save portions or the whole thing etc… ? In the scenario of, 2 months ago user1002 gave me a phone number which I forgot to write down. It had the digits 543 in it.

Thanks for everything Derek, I am looking forward to beginning February!

Regards,

RioGD

Post Scriptum: How should I handle Wildfire bugs ? I have reported two actual bugs in the Wildfire forum but haven’'t yet had any answers:

http://www.jivesoftware.org/community/message.jspa?messageID=110032#110032

http://www.jivesoftware.org/community/message.jspa?messageID=110053#110053

Did I handle those correctly or should I post further bug reports / wishes differently ? (I have a few of both pending)

4

Hi rio,

Closing of chat windows on attempts to reconnect.

This will be worked on for the 1.1.1 release time. I just do not have the time to include into the 1.1 release.

Branding of client from Spark Manager

Very interesting idea. Somehow be able to specify "Generic Settings’‘. I am the creator of the Spark Manager, so always forward Spark Manager issues to me. I’'ll look into this further.

Displayed Username

Maybe I could just have it say “You” or “Me” or something along those lines. Or maybe just use the “Nickname” value in your Profile?

Logging Interface

We have been looking more into the server side logging of conversations rather than the less secure client side logging. I’'ll keep you up to date on this development.

Cheers,

Derek

5

)> Closing of chat windows on attempts to reconnect.

This will be worked on for the 1.1.1 release time. I just do not have the time to include into the 1.1 release

That is all right. There are going to be some delays rolling things out here actually because of a buggy switch dropping too many packets and causing frequent disconnects (one of the reasons we noticed the need for this feature)

)>Branding of client from Spark Manager

Very interesting idea. Somehow be able to specify "Generic Settings’‘. I am the creator of the Spark Manager, so always forward Spark Manager issues to me. I’'ll look into this further.

Thanks I didn’'t realize that! I realize the username/password part will be quite difficult because the user never gives that information when they download the client, but I think the server being auto-filled in would be “feasible” since it should be the same for all users downloading from the Spark Manager link.

)>Displayed Username

Maybe I could just have it say “You” or “Me” or something along those lines. Or maybe just use the “Nickname” value in your Profile?

Could you have it show the same thing to yourself that it is showing to the user your chatting with? So the “default”, whatever it was, was used for everyone, yourself included. Now there may be further implications such as logging etc… which could be affected by this which I didn’‘t think about but anyway its just that if to me, it is showing my name as daniela, I would expect for everyone else to be seeing daniela as well, which would worry me if my name was actually daniel. So it is great that it is showing other users your full name, but you wouldn’‘t know that yourself since your seeing your username instead. I don’'t feel like I am explaining this very well. I would prefer seeing Full Name both ways or Nickname rather than “You/me”.

)>Logging Interface

We have been looking more into the server side logging of conversations rather than the less secure client side logging. I’'ll keep you up to date on this development.

My reason for commenting on this is that although server side logging is one of the things which brought me to Wildfire first, users should have the ability to see their own logs when they forget something from a conversation etc… I see a separation between the audit logs which are primarily for administration and auditing use, and client side logs which do duplicate this information, however are used more to “look things up” and not thus subject to being secure or anything else.

I would like to be kept up to date in the development of this, I personally love logs because my memory often leaves me remembering who sent me a link to something and when it happened (more or less) but not the link itself or whatever piece of information that is.

As usual, many thanks !

RioGD

6

Post Scriptum: How should I handle Wildfire bugs ? I

have reported two actual bugs in the Wildfire forum

but haven’'t yet had any answers:

http://www.jivesoftware.org/community/message.jspa?mes

sageID=110032#110032

http://www.jivesoftware.org/community/message.jspa?mes

sageID=110053#110053

Did I handle those correctly or should I post further

bug reports / wishes differently ? (I have a few of

both pending)

just be patient There are a lot of issues and threads on the Forums. Developers just cant answer everything at once. Keep reminding about your problem, upping your thread. Or even join us at Wednesday Live Chat: http://www.jivesoftware.org/community/ann.jspa?annID=1

I’'ve found this is a good chance to drive some attention to your problems in real discussion

7

Displayed Username

Maybe I could just have it say “You” or “Me” or

something along those lines. Or maybe just use the

“Nickname” value in your Profile?

Yes, yes and yes. And make it customizable also Some text field in Options ot enter a Display Name whatever you like.

8

Another “feature” request:

a) Allow the user to specify which browser they want used to open links clicked

b) What behavior to use when the link is opened. New window, new tab, reuse last tab, reuse last window.

This may not be as important for windows as it will be for linux when you release a linux version, but a windows user reported to me that clicking links kept overwritting whatever they had open in one of their IE windows.

Thanks as usual for listening,

RioGD

9

Allowing to specify different browser than default is no harm, but this is not a very high priority option. Not many people want to use different browser to open IM links, imho. As about reusing browser windows when opening links this can be handled by browser itself (and maybe it even should). Dont know if links can be formated like “open in new window”. But IE has “Reuse windows for launching shortcuts” checkbox in Tools > Internet Options > Advanced > Browsing that can be unchecked. Firefox has external links handling options too. I think other browsers should have similar options (Opera, Konqueror).