Comments on: Empathy: the New Pidgin? http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/ WorksWithU is the independent guide to Ubuntu Linux Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:11:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: E. Mark Mitchell http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/comment-page-1/#comment-7232 E. Mark Mitchell Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:41:33 +0000 http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/#comment-7232 Did not like Empathy. For one thing, it would not accept the Status of Hidden (I prefer to run silent), no matter how often I asked it to, and basically I couldn't figure out how to fix that. I couldn't set my display name (I could, it just wouldn't accept it) nor picture. Basically, for my purposes, it has glitches that kill its usefulness for me. Did not like Empathy. For one thing, it would not accept the Status of Hidden (I prefer to run silent), no matter how often I asked it to, and basically I couldn’t figure out how to fix that. I couldn’t set my display name (I could, it just wouldn’t accept it) nor picture. Basically, for my purposes, it has glitches that kill its usefulness for me.

]]> By: Lord_Infernal http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/comment-page-1/#comment-7026 Lord_Infernal Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:27:27 +0000 http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/#comment-7026 Have been using this empathy tool, because of trouble with receiving messages in pidgin. It looks like a just a window to write your text to your friends and nothing more. No file transfer tools, no notification via OSD, like i have in pidgin. No tools at all. And what for a had to use it as my default IM client? It seems to me, that ubuntu newcomers must be shocked only by the look of this stuff. It was hard for me to get used to pidgin after QIP, but it has a great amount of functions and addons, that can't be said about empathy. Empathy is unusable for me. Have been using this empathy tool, because of trouble with receiving messages in pidgin. It looks like a just a window to write your text to your friends and nothing more. No file transfer tools, no notification via OSD, like i have in pidgin. No tools at all. And what for a had to use it as my default IM client? It seems to me, that ubuntu newcomers must be shocked only by the look of this stuff. It was hard for me to get used to pidgin after QIP, but it has a great amount of functions and addons, that can’t be said about empathy. Empathy is unusable for me.

]]> By: Disagree http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/comment-page-1/#comment-7009 Disagree Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:34:37 +0000 http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/#comment-7009 The argument about memory is not valid. People love to pull this argument into the fray when they have nothing else valid to debate with. Hello red herring! I don't see people arguing for the adoption of Chrome into Ubuntu, even though Firefox has been known to be a bear constantly with memory management. Just opening up Firefox, doing a single google-search and coming to this site has me at 319mb of Virtual and 74mb of real memory. I'm sure the dissenters against Pidgins memory management don't mind that though. The reality is that Empathy may have a better underlying framework, but it's still a skeleton. It doesn't matter to me the reason why it's not ready for the big time yet, but feature-wise it is not. Options != Features -- that's true, but many people see no real or perceived benefit as yet to that which empathy offers. Ubuntu is relying on an attempt at forced adoption to make it a relevant IM client in order to get people interested in writing for it, which is fine. I just still don't plan on using it until it has some features. The argument about memory is not valid. People love to pull this argument into the fray when they have nothing else valid to debate with. Hello red herring!

I don’t see people arguing for the adoption of Chrome into Ubuntu, even though Firefox has been known to be a bear constantly with memory management. Just opening up Firefox, doing a single google-search and coming to this site has me at

319mb of Virtual and 74mb of real memory.

I’m sure the dissenters against Pidgins memory management don’t mind that though. The reality is that Empathy may have a better underlying framework, but it’s still a skeleton. It doesn’t matter to me the reason why it’s not ready for the big time yet, but feature-wise it is not.

Options != Features — that’s true, but many people see no real or perceived benefit as yet to that which empathy offers. Ubuntu is relying on an attempt at forced adoption to make it a relevant IM client in order to get people interested in writing for it, which is fine. I just still don’t plan on using it until it has some features.

]]> By: Adrian Dukhie http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/comment-page-1/#comment-6665 Adrian Dukhie Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:20:52 +0000 http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/#comment-6665 hey guys dont forget something important, pidgin works very stable and well on windows using gtk+. Although the arguments for memory usage is valid... i still remember using it as gaim. After trying empathy many times, i still feel it has potential but isnt quite as innovative or groundbreaking as pidgin always has been. I hope as users we still maintain our powers of choice, and developers continue to listen to real users needs. (hinting to those backward new gnome ideas) Thanks. hey guys dont forget something important, pidgin works very stable and well on windows using gtk+. Although the arguments for memory usage is valid…

i still remember using it as gaim. After trying empathy many times, i still feel it has potential but isnt quite as innovative or groundbreaking as pidgin always has been. I hope as users we still maintain our powers of choice, and developers continue to listen to real users needs. (hinting to those backward new gnome ideas)

Thanks.

]]> By: rfry11 http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/comment-page-1/#comment-6616 rfry11 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:11:12 +0000 http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/#comment-6616 The only thing I find annoying is it seems like Empathy, because it became a Gnome App suddenly gets all the support and accolades. What would have been smarter, in my opinion, is for Gnome to support libpurple, and help add Voice and Video support in order to make Pidgin Empathy's equal. It seems like because Empathy has a good core makes it a good program, but it doesn't. Pidgin is still much more stable and has more features, such as file transfers and an easier to navigate interface (in my opinion). It just seems silly to throw Pidgin away right now. The only thing I find annoying is it seems like Empathy, because it became a Gnome App suddenly gets all the support and accolades. What would have been smarter, in my opinion, is for Gnome to support libpurple, and help add Voice and Video support in order to make Pidgin Empathy’s equal. It seems like because Empathy has a good core makes it a good program, but it doesn’t. Pidgin is still much more stable and has more features, such as file transfers and an easier to navigate interface (in my opinion). It just seems silly to throw Pidgin away right now.

]]> By: slumbergod http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/comment-page-1/#comment-3930 slumbergod Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:08 +0000 http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/#comment-3930 I'd simply like there to be a good alternative to only having Pidgin as the only stable, mature multi-protocol chat client. Over the last couple of years some things in Pidgin have really frustrated me but it is stable and well-developed. Everytime I try Empathy I vomit and come running back. Why Gnome chose such an immature app beats me. I’d simply like there to be a good alternative to only having Pidgin as the only stable, mature multi-protocol chat client. Over the last couple of years some things in Pidgin have really frustrated me but it is stable and well-developed. Everytime I try Empathy I vomit and come running back. Why Gnome chose such an immature app beats me.

]]> By: tuxy http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/comment-page-1/#comment-3225 tuxy Sat, 14 Mar 2009 04:45:22 +0000 http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/#comment-3225 Pidgin will not cooperate with Gtalk and uses too much memory Pidgin will not cooperate with Gtalk and uses too much memory

]]> By: Casey Ho http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/comment-page-1/#comment-2481 Casey Ho Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:50:31 +0000 http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/#comment-2481 Believe it or not, voice and video chat is on it's way to Pidgin- I just tested it earlier today. We the developers need help with it (especially testing), so volunteers are welcome. As for the article, I don't find it surprising that the interfaces are the same- they're both based on GTK, and look&feel standardization is the whole point of sharing a toolkit. Believe it or not, voice and video chat is on it’s way to Pidgin- I just tested it earlier today. We the developers need help with it (especially testing), so volunteers are welcome.

As for the article, I don’t find it surprising that the interfaces are the same- they’re both based on GTK, and look&feel standardization is the whole point of sharing a toolkit.

]]> By: aikiwolfie http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/comment-page-1/#comment-2478 aikiwolfie Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:35:34 +0000 http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/#comment-2478 At the moment Pidgin doesn't support webcams. Which leaves me at a disadvantage because my friends on Windows all use webcams. I'm the faceless Linux guy. Without webcam support I don't see any point in adopting anything new. At the moment Pidgin doesn’t support webcams. Which leaves me at a disadvantage because my friends on Windows all use webcams. I’m the faceless Linux guy.

Without webcam support I don’t see any point in adopting anything new.

]]> By: dragonbite http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/comment-page-1/#comment-2477 dragonbite Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:47:35 +0000 http://www.workswithu.com/2009/01/05/empathy-the-new-pidgin/#comment-2477 If it includes video chat for MSN and Yahoo! then it's got my vote over Pidgin. If it includes video chat for MSN and Yahoo! then it’s got my vote over Pidgin.

]]>