[ge-talk] Notification Server?

[Kevin Field]

Sorry to chime in late, and hopefully I won't say anything that's been said already, I've been trying to follow the thread as best I can.

It seems like some responses have been pretty polar.  On the topic of whether a service should be provided to developers or not, I guess that's kinda the way it has to be.  I don't know if it helps to add yet another voice in favour of there being a server, but if it does, I'm in favour, since sometimes (especially in the earlier stages of Haiku being available) apps will be around that are the only one of their kind, and it would be a shame to be annoyed by using them when there could have simply been a standard way of communicating events to the user in their own preferred fashion.

The other discussion going down along server-vs-app lines I think we can harmonize to everyone's benefit, though.  I would vote for having some kind of central preflet, *and* hooks for the app to access the same event preferences if the developer sees fit.  This may seem like some duplication but it actually allows for the best of both worlds, I think.

Apps can provide preferences in context in a much more user-friendly way.  For example, the IM client that lets you disable status notification for the user who has his/her status automatically updated to reflect the current song of his/her playlist shouldn't have to send you to a central preflet to wade through so many preferences, it would probably be an option right on the popup, if you are having such things delivered via popup.

A central preflet can let you create groups of event preferences to match a particular concentration/busyness level or whatever else you might want.  For example, I think most people could use an "f*** off" mode that disables all interruptions (and that could then be reflected in their IM status too.)  Bored users can have most interruptions enabled.  I would find it useful while watching a movie to have my e-mail checker window not come up and all popups and sound disabled (except maybe urgent ones--'your CPU is overheating, we thought you might want to know', 'your boss is about to fire you for watching movies', etc.?)  Also, then you can choose modal popup vs. non-modal but still focus-stealing popup vs. non-focus-stealing popup (ala Thunderbird) vs. blinking task bar (shudder) vs. prioritized status-line-esque area (my favourite) vs. sound alerts vs. blinky keyboard lock lights vs. whatever other method you'd want to use for a particular event context *within* a particular busyness context.  To me this would be much easier to set up using a central preflet, because you wouldn't have to hit up every app to get things the way you want.

Kev