Gwibber has a nice purpose to bring social networking web services to the desktop. But after some releases in the default Ubuntu it shows to be very resource hungry application. After use it for some time you realise that browser plugins (firefox or chrome) are easier to use, faster and consumes less resources. So here is my question. Is it time to drop gwibber ?
Time to drop Gwibber ?
Archived thread 1745353 from Oneiric Ocelot Testing and Discussion (CLOSED). Markdown source: Oneiric_Ocelot_Testing_and_Discussion_(CLOSED)/thread_1745353_Time_to_drop_Gwibber.md
Gwibber has a nice purpose to bring social networking web services to the desktop. But after some releases being used in the default Ubuntu install it shows to be very resource hungry application. After use it for some time you realise that browser plugins (firefox or chrome) are easier to use, faster and consumes less resources. So here is my question. Is it time to drop gwibber ?
[IMG]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hk5hY4L0yBg/S-GjRwh5RXI/AAAAAAAACdQ/iANYY-9WQqk/s1600/gwibber-facebook.png[/IMG]
Canonical needs to get rid of both empathy and gwibber, and then integrate chating and broadcasting into unity.
I like Empathy. I didn't like Pidgin too much. When Ubuntu was still using Pidgin I used meebo for my chatting more often than not. Why drop Empathy? Is there a better chat client available? I mean, if there's a chat client available that can do video chat with Yahoo or AIM as well as Jabber, then by all means drop Empathy.
What I'd like to see is a chat program that can do photo sharing on Yahoo and such. It's a slight annoyance to switch to a different computer for photo sharing when my girlfriend is sending me new pictures of my son.
I set up Gwibber once and didn't like it too much. I can see how it is a useful application, but like you said I can use a browser plugin much easier and quicker than Gwibber, and use less resources while I'm doing it.
Yes. But maybe we should replace it with something more lightweight instead of dropping social network clients completely.
I agree. I think Gwibber needs some serious work, on the front-end more than anything.
I think a social networking lense would be more appropriate. It would be better integrated into the desktop, and would most likely perform better.
I'd really like to get more into using my identi.ca account, for which GWibber is very useful. However it's slowness especially on startup often leads me to omit starting it.
I think we need something like what webOS has for posting to twitter. For reading, I suspect the integration needs to go deeper than what gwibber presents.
Gwibber seems quite flaky at times. It's a bit hit and miss if it updates correctly. I find most of the time it's quicker just to sign in to whichever portal it is I want to view (facebook etc).
What alternatives are out there? I'd hate to see social updates dropped altogether. Maybe just a more lightweight and "unity integrated" client would be more preferential.
I had to read this thread just to figure out what Gwibber was :shock:
Finalfantasykid said: I think a social networking lense would be more appropriate. It would be better integrated into the desktop, and would most likely perform better.
Good idea. Maybe a lightweight lense would be the best solution. It could even enhance the unity experience.
I always uninstall Gwibber, no use for it.
I like it because it gives notifications.
Other than that, I hate it. I agree with the guy who wants to integrate all the social network handling into the OS.
Maybe the default could be Hotot?
oops, I thought empathy was the social IM client for ubuntu??
buzzmandt said: oops, I thought empathy was the social IM client for ubuntu??
Gwibber is a social network client. Empathy is an Instant Messaging client.
kick it out. bring in a lens :D
I've never had any problems with Gwibber at all.
Finalfantasykid said: I think a social networking lense would be more appropriate. It would be better integrated into the desktop, and would most likely perform better.
What is a "social networking lense"? I've Googled it but I'm no clearer.
Gwibber the program is something I never use - but the Gwibber API is a huge boon to programmers. I therefore voted no.
the way Fedora 15 handles empathy is good, with a little chat box at the bottom of the screen... Msybe that idea could be used somehow how social networking?
eldonkr said: Why drop Empathy?
I agree. I like Empathy more than Pidgin, but its really annoying that video chat is still practically non-existent.
As for Gwibber. I was completely behind the idea of integrating this client with Ubuntu, but honestly Gwibber is one of the worst Twitter clients I've ever used and its super slow. It also never seems to get the developmental attention it needs.
Most of the major networks use encryption in their messaging. It will be difficult to decrypt that. Every time we get it reverse engineered the big companies change their protocol and we're back to square one. Someone should clone trillian :-)
kyleabaker said: I agree. I like Empathy more than Pidgin, but its really annoying that video chat is still practically non-existent.
As for Gwibber. I was completely behind the idea of integrating this client with Ubuntu, but honestly Gwibber is one of the worst Twitter clients I've ever used and its super slow. It also never seems to get the developmental attention it needs.
empathy is missing some very basic features that pidgin has like file transfers over AIM.
kyleabaker said: I agree. I like Empathy more than Pidgin, but its really annoying that video chat is still practically non-existent.
As for Gwibber. I was completely behind the idea of integrating this client with Ubuntu, but honestly Gwibber is one of the worst Twitter clients I've ever used and its super slow. It also never seems to get the developmental attention it needs.
+1 . I agree with every point.
ninjaaron said: I like it because it gives notifications.
Other than that, I hate it. I agree with the guy who wants to integrate all the social network handling into the OS.
Firstly, Gwibber needs to go. Far too resource hungry. Secondly, OS integration is a good idea, so long as it doesn't eat up any resources for those who don't care for it. I don't use any of those social services so I don't want my OS to devote any resources to running a process or program I have no use for. In a nutshell, as long as there's a simple way of disabling it completely, I'm all for it.
Merged two threads on the same subject.
Johnsie said: the way Fedora 15 handles empathy is good, with a little chat box at the bottom of the screen... Msybe that idea could be used somehow how social networking?
yeah, i really like the way empathy works on gnome 3. The little chat box at the bottom gives a very integrated look.
Glenn nl said: Yes.
But maybe we should replace it with something more lightweight instead of dropping social network clients completely.Stole my words!
With Unity, there's alot more potential for social networking.
Build it straight into Unity rather than as a stand alone application.
I agree. I like Empathy more than Pidgin, but its really annoying that video chat is still practically non-existent.]
Hi, Gyarao (a messenger spin-off) is cam/video-chat capable...It's not bad. google it, or send me an IM and I'll send you the repository.
Like I said Integrate the chat and broadcast accounts into the dash. with out empathy and gwibber.
I love the social network integration in Ubuntu and I use Gwibber. But I agree it certainly is not the best client available by a royal mile. Something needs to be done. Either improve Gwibber or replace it.
CreativeReach said: Canonical needs to get rid of both empathy and gwibber, and then integrate chating and broadcasting into unity.
^This.
Still, the method of integrating it into Unity is all up in the air at this point.
I'd say take everything (chat, vid-chat, voicechat, twitter, mail (yes, mail) etc.) and lump it, not into Unity, but into Compiz as a plugin. As someone else noted we want this to be optional, as many people already use browser-based services for much of the above, and would rather not waste the resources.
How I'd like to see it visually: integrate all those social-thingamajigs into the desktop (as in THE Desktop, not a bar, lense, panel or the likes (which what I understand is Unity)); if done this way then the Super+D-combo is your one-stop shop for your "social life". Of course you'll have the choice of configuring and moving stuff around from CCSM, but no "oops I clicked the wrong place on the desktop and made twitter disappear".
Then again you could also use your desktop for icons, like this guy:
[IMG]http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j130/dboy1612/desktop.jpg[/IMG]
OGpmpdog said:
Hi, Gyarao (a messenger spin-off) is cam/video-chat capable...It's not bad. google it, or send me an IM and I'll send you the repository.
I just did a google search and it didn't turn up anything.
Quartlow said: I had to read this thread just to figure out what Gwibber was :shock:
Same here. Having found out, I think the real solution is to remove twitter. :D
-- steve.
Off topic, I know. But speaking of having things integrated into the desktop, I was wondering if there was any way to integrate the terminal into the desktop.
eldonkr said: Off topic, I know. But speaking of having things integrated into the desktop, I was wondering if there was any way to integrate the terminal into the desktop.
that would be very cool :)
A terminal-lens
I think I've seen it done somewhere before but I'm not entirely sure, but it would be a very useful thing to have.
Please, check Turpial Development Version, fast, small, easy, stable, Upload images, URL Shorter, full support for Twitter and Indenti.ca
Hotot is nice, but still resource ungry, and a little bugged too (ie DM goes Public)
I have never used Gwibber , Empathy or Evolution , but I would not suggest they be removed unless there good data to support it .
Empathy is good, and i think its used very regularly by the less power users, the casual users not the kind on the forums all the time :P
Gwibber has just never worked correctly and has been full of bugs since day one, seen as this will be about its 5th time being the default desktop blogging client, its had enough 2nd chances, get rid of it.
As for evolution, the fact that its now so easy to access and organise emails online the need for a stand alone email client is next to none and they are all but redundant, almost anyone who has gmail will agree im sure, i doubt there would be much fuss if it wasnt included in the default install,
ZarathustraDK said: Then again you could also use your desktop for icons, like this guy:
[IMG]http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j130/dboy1612/desktop.jpg[/IMG]
Ooooh, the hu-maaan-it-yyyy!!!!
For less than the price of one mocha latte per month, you could save 5 poor desktops from abuses like this.
Won't you please help!!! :(:(:(
Later, Seeker
Gwibber is such a resource hog on bootup time, by removing it I get a 5 second (or 25%) improvement on bootup speed. Its crazy how one program can delay bootup by that much.
Its time to see it removed, or perhaps added as an option during the installer. e.g. "Install social networking apps?"
Can't say I'd miss Gwibber, Evolution or Empathy.
But I'd be loath to remove them from the default IF they have been proved during beta testing to be reliable with the new release and IF they do not start up at boot time. At least that would demonstrate there was at least one app with the basic functionality which each of these has which works.
It would also serve as a kind of endorsement for anyone new to Ubuntu or who has no idea what app to use in each case.
I hadn't realised until today, upon listening to a ubuntu UK podcast, that Gwibber stores your messages in a sqlite database in your home folder that can eat up disk space. I only freshly installed my netbook 3 months ago and I'm not a heavy twitter user but I checked the database and it had already reached 82MB. I know this includes user details, searches, etc but it seems a bit much for, what is basically, a twitter client. I mean give it a year and the size could become a real issue for people with limited disk space.
its main problem is that it takes so long to load up, it takes less time to go to firefox and click on facebook in my bookmark toolbar, not a little bit faster, but about 3x faster to do it this way, ive just got rid of it
ZarathustraDK said:
Then again you could also use your desktop for icons, like this guy:
[IMG]http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j130/dboy1612/desktop.jpg[/IMG]
My housemate had a desktop just like that (though his had slightly more, if you can believe it :s). No matter how hard I tried, I could never convince him to change the error of his ways :p
gwibber is quite a piece of ****. it would help just really improving it... right now in natty I cannot even start it!
First off I am not a Dev or a well knowledged ubuntu user although I like to tinker so I am enjoying this as it is the fist time ever I have used a ubuntu version that is so new... my view on this comes from our 5 kids aged 13 to 21, quote "I just use a web browser 'cause it's what I am used to using and it's easier to switch between tabs than Apps" and it "don't do what I want it to or the way I'm used to using facebook etc" ... My own personal view is I don't use gwibber and empathy {they are one of the first Apps I uninstall so I can't say weather or not they should go or be changed.. thanks for this topic I do think however it is a very important one and I hope the powers that be listen, great work.
I've never used Gwibber, Empathy or Evolution until Natty. Though I still haven't used gwibber at all (not even to test it) as I prefer to just go to facebook.com but I'm now using Empathy and Evolution as my defaults. Just because they are integrated so well with the OS. They definitely need improvements but I mean they trump every other client in the case of convenience/integration with the rest of the OS.
yes, because I rarely wear them :D