[Pidgin] #6823: Possible to open multiple "Add Account" windows

[Pidgin]

#6823: Possible to open multiple "Add Account" windows
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 Reporter:  mpt     |        Owner:              
     Type:  defect  |       Status:  new         
Milestone:          |    Component:  pidgin (gtk)
  Version:  2.4.3   |   Resolution:              
 Keywords:          |  
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Comment(by deryni):

 Replying to [comment:2 mpt]:
 > Can you give a realistic example of why someone would want to compare
 details of multiple accounts?

 Adding a second account which needs the same advanced configuration as a
 previously existing account. (For example XMPP connect server, port, and
 tls settings, or re-using proxy settings only applicable to a single
 protocol.)

 > Clicking the Add button multiple times could indeed save time, maybe
 1000~2000 ms per account (as long as none of the "Add Account" windows
 obscured the button). But preventing errors ''is'' a useful purpose, and
 safety is one aspect of a system's usability, like efficiency is. Since
 setting up an account is something people seldom do, I think safety might
 outweigh efficiency here.

 In my environment the "Add Account" windows cannot obscure the Add button
 (hence my reasonable window management environment comment). I fail to see
 what the 'error' in clicking the Add button multiple times is. I also fail
 to see what about allowing multiple clicks in unsafe. Interestingly
 enough, I would use the '[s]ince setting up an account is something people
 seldom do' claim to argue my side as well, since my argument would be the
 time saved people who might accidentally mis-click and get two windows is
 as minimal (if not more so) than the potential time savings for people who
 can utilize more than one "Add Account" window.

 > Unfortunately some people have been led, by double-clicking on icons, to
 think they need to double-click on other controls too. (I've observed this
 at Internet cafes, but don't have any figures on how widespread it is.)
 And even people who don't have have this problem can click twice
 accidentally, whether because of mode error (whoops, forgot that a button
 is one of the things that needs only one click), or a dodgy microswitch in
 their mouse, or a temporarily-crawling computer that didn't respond quite
 quickly enough to the first click.

 And again, I would rather require accidents (which cause no actual harm)
 to require mediation then prevent valid usages from being possible.
 Furthermore, for the double-click case specifically. I have no problems
 with the idea of attempting to catch double-clicks and not responding to
 them twice, or barring that the idea of (effectively) disabling the Add
 button for the merest fraction of a second after a click is processed to
 prevent the most egregious of double-clicks from provoking multiple
 windows.

 > Once that happens, the person can end up with two "Add Account" windows
 without realizing, fill in the second, then be frustrated by the window
 apparently deleting all the information they had entered (because they are
 now looking at the first window without realizing), enter all their
 information again, then be further confused as to why they get a "1
 account was disabled because you signed on from another location" error.

 That scenario would require that the two dialogs be placed exactly on top
 of one another to exist, the simplest cascade should be enough to indicate
 to people that there is/was not one but two dialogs, as (likely) will the
 change in the Accounts window to display the new account (as the Accounts
 window will likely be partially visible behind the much smaller "Add
 Account" dialog). Regardless, that outcome is no longer what will occur
 anyway. pidgin no longer allows multiple accounts with the same
 identifying information and as such the error message would read "Unable
 to save new account" and "An account already exists with the specified
 criteria." which is greatly more informative and likely much clearer.

 To be clear, I do not in any way discount the fact that we should try to
 make this less prone to duplication errors (not that I think they are at
 all likely or common) my concern is that in attempting to fix them I very
 much do not want to see us make very real usages less useful or
 impossible. I see little to gain from movement in that direction and very
 much wrong with the balance that casts ease-of-use as more important than
 real functionality.

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Ticket URL: <http://developer.pidgin.im/ticket/6823#comment:3>
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