Topic: Something stupid I noticed about Google Talk

[scottws]

If you shrink your contacts list (by clicking and dragging the lower right corner up), it will sometimes actually display offline contacts instead of idle, online ones.  It doesn't do this if you turn off "Show on one page," but I can't understand why it would have this behavior.  Why the hell would it do this?  That is completely retarded!  Online contacts should always be displayed as a priority over offline ones.

[Cools]

People actually use GTalk?

[Quemaqua]

It's all I use now.

[Cools]

Why?

[Quemaqua]

Because everything else sucks ass?

[scottws]

Yeah, it's all I use now as well.  I don't like GAIM (on Windows).  I hate Trillian.  I hate Miranda IM.  I'm not using the individual, official apps.  Especially AIM... *shudders*

Google Talk is lightweight and I just like Google.  Enough people I know use Gmail that it doesn't matter.

[Quemaqua]

Yeah, that's more or less my deal too.

[scottws]

So Que, have you been able to confirm or deny the behavior I'm experiencing?

[sirean_syan]

I just tried and... it's strange. Depending on the size it'll leave certain people on and certain people off. I always have it showing the offline people (there are only like five or six people on my list), but when I shrink it it'll sometimes cut you out, Scott, but not another guy who's currently buy and Pyro. I think when space runs out it defaults to alphabetical order and if any of those people that can fit are online it'll move them to the top.

Actually, scratch that. I have no idea how it picks online people to show. Sometimes it'll show you Scott or that busy friend (his name starts with a B). Otherwise, if it cuts down and decides to show an offline person it'll always be Pyro (who's name starts with an A in Googletalk). The thing is I'm not sure what'll make it decide to show an offline person over an online person and it does it almost randomly.

Edit pt2: I Think it always tries to show an offline person no matter what, so it'll cut down the online people and have at least Pyro's name on there.

[Quemaqua]

I haven't noticed anything unusual, but I don't quite get what you're saying.  If you shrink the window?  I don't have the show one page thing turned on, and I really only have a few people on there... so it just shows them all at once, on, off, or otherwise.

[idolminds]

seems to work fine here.

[scottws]

I just tried and... it's strange. Depending on the size it'll leave certain people on and certain people off. I always have it showing the offline people (there are only like five or six people on my list), but when I shrink it it'll sometimes cut you out, Scott, but not another guy who's currently buy and Pyro. I think when space runs out it defaults to alphabetical order and if any of those people that can fit are online it'll move them to the top.

Actually, scratch that. I have no idea how it picks online people to show. Sometimes it'll show you Scott or that busy friend (his name starts with a B). Otherwise, if it cuts down and decides to show an offline person it'll always be Pyro (who's name starts with an A in Googletalk). The thing is I'm not sure what'll make it decide to show an offline person over an online person and it does it almost randomly.

Edit pt2: I Think it always tries to show an offline person no matter what, so it'll cut down the online people and have at least Pyro's name on there.

Exactly... it doesn't seem to make any sense.  Why would anyone program it this way?  How are you supposed to have any idea if someone is online or not if they aren't on the screen?  I mean my first thought if I see a couple of online people and then some offline people is that that's all the people that are online.  But no, if you make the Google Talk window bigger, one or more online people pop up there.  Stupid design there, real stupid.

Is there a place to leave feedback on this program?

Edit:  Question answered...

But we want to keep making Google Talk better and we want your ideas and feedback to help make this happen! Talk to us using the Help link in the Google Talk interface. Let us know what you like, what you don't like, and what you'd really like.

[Xessive]

Google Talk is still in Beta, but y'know what? It's still better than MSN Messenger Granted MSN does have a few more features (it's only a matter of time before GTalk catches up), but GTalk is a lot more stable, less bulky, cleaner, and lighter. I'd switch exclusively to GTalk if I could communicate with my MSN contacts through it.

[scottws]

BTW Xessive, I don't see your Google Talk info... are you not sharing with us?

[Xessive]

BTW Xessive, I don't see your Google Talk info... are you not sharing with us?

No The only people on my GTalk are family and two friends. But if you guys really want it, all you need to do is ask

[Pugnate]

pugnate@gmail.com

Do add me. Also you guys should join Google owned orkut.com

But yes, I love Google talk, despite some of the issues. I think I am getting old. When I was 18 I loved every new bloated iteration of ICQ, with all the extras that I could explore and the various fun ways I could chat.

Now I just want a program that lets me do all that I want, with a minimal yet elegant interface. Google Talk so far is my thing, but I realize that they all started like that. ICQ was very minimal when it started as was MSN.

ICQ kept adding and adding until it was like that porn star who had one too many cosmetic surgeries. Man, ICQ really fell off the radar, I remember when it was all anyone would use!

MSN was excellent but seems to be heading in the ICQ direction it looks like.

[scottws]

I'm on Orkut, Pug.  You're my only friend. 

[Pugnate]

Hey Scott. Add Xessive, Idol, Kam and Antares. Just go to my profile and view my contacts. They appear in order of activity, so you can expect them to be at the very end heh.

[scottws]

I added ace as a friend, but he hasn't accepted my request.  I'm not sure who Xessive is. I do not know his real name.  I added idol the other day, and just added Ant.

[Xessive]

My name is Karim. Yes, I am awesome.

[scottws]

You know... I think I know the real names of about 25-30% of our members here.  How many other online communities can you say that about?  That's pretty cool.

[Xessive]

You know... I think I know the real names of about 25-30% of our members here.  How many other online communities can you say that about?  That's pretty cool.

Haha true, I started getting used to the real names when I found some of the guys on Facebook

We're all used to the nicknames, handles, and avatars now I think Que's real name is Mike (I'm not even sure) but he'll always be Que in my mind

[Quemaqua]

Considering that half my friends call me "Q" in real life anyway, I'm not sure it even matters, heh.  It's just sort of become a nickname at this point.  But yes, my real name is Michael.  People at work call me Michael, friends call me either Mikey, Mike, or Q depending on their personal preference.

[Xessive]

Considering that half my friends call me "Q" in real life anyway, I'm not sure it even matters, heh.  It's just sort of become a nickname at this point.  But yes, my real name is Michael.  People at work call me Michael, friends call me either Mikey, Mike, or Q depending on their personal preference.

Then I shall call you Miguel! Nah, Que is sticking