[OTR-users] UI-choices for OTR button

[412MN]

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Hi,

maybe I can add some points to the discussion:
> It is more complex then that, since you are talking to one of the
> combined user encrypted, and non-encrypted with the other half. So
> we can't just close the "older' button. It's not failing to destroy
> the old one.  You really do need both of them there, unfortunately.
> gaim 2 (now aka pidgin) made the decision that a single
> conversation window can contain simulaneous conversations with
> different people (or different accounts of the same person).  But
> what if one of those conversations is OTR-protected, and one isn't?
>  When you receive a message, how will you know if it's authentic or
> not? The purpose of leaving both buttons there is just to warn you
> of this possibility.
But as far as I can tell the conversation windown "contains" multiple
accounts but you will only see one at a time. So the button would just
have to switch between these displayed accounts. Imagine I have a user
with 5 different accounts (ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, jabber, GaduGadu) then I
will get a conversation window with 5 OTR buttons (all in different
states possibly)? I think an indicator of some sort and a general
activation dialogue will be enough to make the user aware (see below)
... I mean they're already using OTR messaging that's a lot more
attention to IM than people usually grant.

> It's clear that this isn't the best UI choice, though.  Suggestions
> on how to deal with this problem are more than welcome.
The pidgin encryption plugin (f.k.a. gaim-encryption)
(http://pidgin-encrypt.sourceforge.net/) uses a small "lock" icon on
top of the message window to indicate if encryption (in the current
conversation) is activated (http://bayimg.com/BahhjAABa) or not
(http://bayimg.com/BAhhkaAbA) and the symbol at the same time is the
activation dialogue (click -> Enable Encryption / Disable Encryption).
They managed to have it distinguish between active accounts so I can
activate encryption for every account selectively. Maybe you might
want to take a look into their code and borrow some ideas for the
distinction. That's what open source is for, right? =) I would hope
for a button similar to the lock (someone interested in creating the
first international OTR symbol? :p) that will light up when OTR is
activated and greyed out when disabled. It's certainly enough of a
reminder to look if the little icon on top is lit up and definitely a
better choice than huge buttons in the already small window. For
additional indication you might be able to add a message to the upper
part of the conv-window where the username is displayed ('OFF THE
RECORD CONVERSATION') or so.

Let me hear what you think.

Regards
- --Markus

P.S.: And by the way I really appreciate the effort you guys put into
giving us a means of secure communication.
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