FunPidgin: The result of an open source instant messaging spat

Filed under: Internet, Windows, Linux, Open Source

FunPidgin: The result of an open source instant messaging spat

by Brad Linder May 13th 2008

So a funny thing happened on the way to Pidgin 2.4.1. The developers of the open source, cross-platform, multi-chat protocol client recently implemented a new feature. When you're typing in a text box, it will start out just large enough for a few lines of text. And if your message gets longer, it will automatically resize. Pretty cool, right?

But the developers decided to eliminate the ability to change the text box manually. And that led to a rather intense debate in the Pidgin community. And the result is that there are now two branches of Pidgin. There's the "official" build which lacks image resizing because the developers didn't want to back down or even offer the option of changing the default behavior with a plugin. And there's the new Funpidgin build which has the same default text box behavior as Pidgin, but allows you to manually change text box sizes via a plugin.

We're going to ignore the question of which version is actually more "fun," and just point out that Funpidgin can basically do everything that Pidgin can, plus you can resize the text box manually. Funpidgin also has a few other features that Pidgin lacks, like the ability to adjust buddy icon display sizes.

[via Ubuntu Unleashed]

Tags: funpidgin, pidgin

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Tom said 7:50PM on 5-13-2008

I've heard of this split before, but I thought removing the ability to resize was the only option, not a new feature to auto size. Auto size is the way of the future, man. There's no wasted space. Lame.

Mikael said 9:08PM on 5-13-2008

Don't people have better things to argue about? :)

iofthestorm said 9:09PM on 5-13-2008

Well, the resizing thing is actually a plugin you can use in Pidgin. Also, I'm pretty sure in Pidgin 2.4.2 which is coming out Thursday or so, they put an option to manually size the input area in the preferences so everyone should be happy. This is kind of a stupid fork in my opinion, because the issue is really minor compared to some of the other stuff the Pidgin guys have done, and it seems like when faced with enough pressure they do back down from some of their decisions. For example, you can now view protocol icons in the buddy list again, but after not having them I realized I don't really need them anyway. Furthermore, I don't know whether the "developers" of FunPidgin actually coded the "new" features or just took them out of older versions of Pidgin.

Atanas Boev said 7:53AM on 5-14-2008

Ticket #4986 happens to be a collection of oppinions AGAINST the feature. If one happens to prefer the feature, he will most likely not post oppinion "I really like it", but will simply use the build instead. I am a dumb user of Pidgin, and I happen to like the auto-resizing.

Some people complain "why the program that I get for free does not behave the way I want?". Even though a lazy point of view, it is a valid complain. One takes something for granted and complains when it changes ("why my mother is not washing my dishes anymore?"). Its a human thing.

However, there is a plugin (yes, plugin) which brings back the resizing option. And now, the people complain "why the program I get for free, is not CODED in the way I want?" (its not OPTIMAL that way). To give the shallow comparison once again, it is like "why my mother doesn't wash my dishes in the way I think is best?"

Which I found funny :)

QuadForce said 1:00PM on 5-14-2008

After discovering digsby I don't think I'll be using pidgin anytime soon.

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