171080 - Get rid of Send Instant Message

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(SeaMonkey :: MailNews: Address Book & Contacts, defect)

Description

[Shark Daddy (Jonathan L.)]

Is that button some kind of carryover from Netscape? Do we need it? I'm of
course referring to the Address Book toolbar button entitled 'IM' (it might be
gone already, I'm on Win2k/2002092108).

Comment 1

[(not reading, please use [e-mail] instead)]

mass re-assign.

Comment 2

[Leon Sha]

Attachment: Patch for remove instant message

The icons are also needed to be removed.

Comment 3

[[e-mail]]

I doubt you'll get moa but I'll look at this if you do.

Comment 4

[Leon Sha]

So, can any one tell me who is the module owner?
Can anyone give me some update?

Comment 5

[[e-mail]]

The bug is assigned to one of the module owners and the other two are CC'd.

Comment 6

[Robert Accettura [:raccettura]]

Is this really something worth removing?

Address Book could use a good overhaul at some point (lots of good suggestions
over at mozillazine including the ability to add more phone numbers, addresses,
emails per card, custom fields etc.)

I wrote a patch before that allows this IM field to map to other protocols
(Yahoo!, MSN, etc.).  Others have suggested allowing the IM field to be expanded
to host more than one protocol (specify a cards AIM, Yahoo SN's for example).

I question if this does more harm than good by removing.  Many people want a
good addressbook for storing their contact info.  A growing method of contact is
IM.  

Me thinks it's worth holding off on, and perhaps investigating a remodeling of
the addressbook in the future (post 1.0 most likely), so that it meets the users
needs.  

- Expandable fields (add multiple addresses, phones, IM's etc)
- Ability to map fields (for use when using PalmSync, or any future sync extension)
- Improve seaching/sorting (quickly be able to scan inbox/trash for messages
from address)

I've seen many more.

[Yes, this is a separate bug, but it illustrates my reasons why we shouldn't get
rid of the feature, we should leave it for now and go about redoing the biggest
shortfall in the MailNews component in regards to usability.]

Sorry for long comment.

Comment 7

[[e-mail]]

Comment on attachment 136766 [details] [diff] [review]
Patch for remove instant message

Of course, if someone wants to hide the button by default, that's another
matter entirely.

Comment 8

[Robert Accettura [:raccettura]]

I'll put it on a pref if you want (once I get my new laptop, and have a dev
environment again).

Comment 9

[Mark Banner (:standard8)]

(In reply to comment #7)
> Of course, if someone wants to hide the button by default, that's another
> matter entirely.
(In reply to comment #8)
> I'll put it on a pref if you want (once I get my new laptop, and have a dev
> environment again).

Ok, but let's do that under a different bug (possibly link it with bug 309068 at
the same time - disable the url presence check). 

However this bug I'm WON'T FIXing as it is a useful feature for some users (Neil
agrees as SeaMonkey top UI person).