[Bug 70860] Re: (Usability) Add MSN account "Screen name"

[Richard Laager]

Thank you for your bug.

Gaim is a multi-protocol IM client. We seek to abstract as many protocol
specific things as possible. We've chosen "screen name", so that's what
is used everywhere. If we wanted to be perfectly correct and clear, it's
not an "e-mail address" either, so much as a "Microsoft Passport" (which
can be applied to any e-mail addresses, but far from all addresses have
an associated passport).

Did you have trouble knowing that you should enter an e-mail address? I
never did. In any case, you figured it out fairly quickly, I'd imagine.
I don't think this is extremely confusing, as you have to enter an
e-mail address in the official client and here you're entering it
between your choice of protocol and the password. From the context, one
can probably deduce what to enter.

If we were to implement this suggestion, then we'd end up with lots of names:
AIM: Screen name
ICQ: UIN
MSN: Microsoft Passport
IRC: Nickname
etc.

Arguably, this makes the interface more complex, as the dialog changes.
Also, it's more work for translators.

This is the first I've heard this request, so it's likely not a huge
problem.

** Changed in: gaim (Ubuntu)
       Status: Unconfirmed => Rejected

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(Usability) Add MSN account "Screen name"
https://launchpad.net/bugs/70860