954140 - Provide UI to block users

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Instantbird Graveyard :: Contacts window, defect)

Description

[Instantbot]

*** Original post on bio 705 by Paul [sabret00the] <sabret00the AT yahoo.co.uk> at 2011-02-19 12:13:00 UTC ***

This feature seems to be missing from both the Buddy List and Conversation window. Users should be able to block users via a context menu.

Comment 1

[Patrick Cloke [:clokep]]

*** Original post on bio 705 at 2011-02-19 15:07:58 UTC ***

This is about adding UI to block users, but first the backend needs to be implemented in bug 953582 (bio 135).

Comment 2

[Instantbot]

*** Original post on bio 705 by Paul [sabret00the] <sabret00the AT yahoo.co.uk> at 2011-03-03 17:59:27 UTC ***

OK. This will be tackled as so. We'll add an option to the context menu of the buddy window that will add a blocked icon next to a users name when blocking is enabled. We'll also provide the same in the context menu to the tab on the conversation window. I'm unsure of the overall goals for the conversation whether we're purposely keeping that minimalistic. But if we decide to have a toolbar, it should be movable (top of window (below tabs), atop of the input box or above the status bar) and we should feature the button on there. I can provide mockups if need be.

Comment 3

[Florian Quèze [:florian]]

*** Original post on bio 705 at 2011-03-03 21:25:58 UTC ***

I would like to know what "block" means before discussing the UI for it. From what I remember, it's extremely confusing because implemented in quite different ways on different protocols and clients.

People tend to use the word "block" on IM clients for 2 different things:
 - not being interrupted by someone, that is, not receiving the messages from that person.
 - not revealing any private data to that person, that is, not notifying the person about the user's availability.

Sometimes it's also both at once.

Comment 4

[Instantbot]

*** Original post on bio 705 by Paul [sabret00the] <sabret00the AT yahoo.co.uk> at 2011-03-03 23:52:50 UTC ***

block = prevent user from being able to see online state and also prevent a user from messaging you.

This is a feature that every other IM client in the world provides. Not providing it isn't an option.

Comment 5

[Florian Quèze [:florian]]

*** Original post on bio 705 at 2011-03-04 00:49:45 UTC ***

See http://developer.pidgin.im/wiki/GSoC2009/PrivacyRewrite/protocol_specific to see how different it is between IM networks.

Comment 6

[Instantbot]

*** Original post on bio 705 by Paul [sabret00the] <sabret00the AT yahoo.co.uk> at 2011-03-04 01:16:07 UTC ***

The backend is ultimately the concern of we the development team (a lot more you than me admittedly), but despite the hardship involved here, we're ultimately forced to implement features like this that are considered basic by most users. Especially if we want to make gains in 2011 and pick up market share.

This is why questions like switching from a libpurple engine to a JavaScript engine are so important at this juncture. Because if we're switching to a different development model, we should do it now rather than be forced to rewrite features and ultimately huge privacy concerns like this bug are paramount to securing users.

A prime example of the lack of usability that's highlighted in the neglect of such a bug as this is that when I leave IB open for testing or even use. I'll receive a spam message every couple hours. On Pidgin that doesn't happen due to either blocking or preferences. Why would we expect users to abandon their clients in favour of a nuisance?

It's also imperative that we remember that without any gains in adoption, we can't grow the community. The more users we get, the more developers we attract and the quicker development goes. That's why UX bugs are of such importance. Because they attract and secure users thus driving development. It's for that very reason. I'd like to ship a stable version of this which can stand-up as a main IM client by the end of the year and put ourselves in a position to do some even more exciting things next year.

Comment 7

[Sylvestre Ledru [:Sylvestre]]

On the behalf of Florian:
Closing bugs related to the Instantbird UI as WONTFIX, as the development of the standalone chat client Instantbird has stopped. Instantbird users are encouraged to migrate to Thunderbird. The user interface of instant messaging in Thunderbird will feel familiar, as the Thunderbird IM support started as a fork of Instantbird.