[Gpg4win-users-en] Aesthetics, integration, and file associations

[Bernhard Reiter]

Hi Simon,

Am Mittwoch, 15. Juli 2009 18:07:37 schrieb Simon:
>  Just points about aesthetics, integration, and file associations!

first thanks for your feedback, we do appreciate it -
especially when it is written down nicely as you have done it!
We do read all the feedback, even if we sometime do not directly reply.
And we know best how much effort it is to try out the package
and then even publish the results. We ourself sometimes even do not manage to 
publish everything.

>  Aesthetics
>
>  Maybe not on top of anyone's list of things to do..or even consider, but I
>  personally would eventually like to see some 'harmony' across components
> in the GPG4Win package. That is, that the package can eventually be looked
> at as a whole rather than various parts scrubbled together for convenience.

True, it is not a top priority on our list, but it is on our list and it is 
not in the bottom either. We want better looks for the whole product.
However this is not easy to archieve for a couple of reasons:

a) Gpg4win is a packaging effort of several different applications
our influence on the upstream packages varies. 
b) Also from the technological side
artwork would have to integrated quite differently.
c) Good artwork and consistent design is hard work, 
we cannot just do it on the side and frankly we are lacking sufficient funding 
and time for it.
d) Having something that works has the tendency to rule the priorities.
e) We sometimes like to keep alternatives in the package like Claws and GPGol
    for sending email, while you've also could use Kontact on Windows.
f) There are different versions of windows and themes.

Note that we are trying to phase out WinPT with Gpg4win2.
Also we try to establish a new concept called UI-server
and a new unified certificate manager called Kleopatra.

The unified certificate manager is based on QT4, so is a new pinentry.
It will improve the consistent look a bit.

> With this in mind, to the next point:
>
>  Icons and file associations
>
>  There are no file associations created using any components of the Gpg4Win
>  package, and even if there were how do open the sig and asc files? The
>  GPGee shell extension was supposed to get around that but the latest
>  version (beta) doesn't work, and I eventually uninstalled it. Besides, it
>  duplicated features in WinPT. I nonetheless still create associations
>  myself and assign file types icons...because at the least it is visually
>  pleasing - icons are taken from Imad's last CKT PGP build, which is what I
>  used to use.

That said, a list of missing file associations or icons for Gpg4win2 is 
something we are interested it. We do have our own list, but we might as well 
miss stuff. Our list is small for file associations and we do have some icons 
missing within the applications, but not for the applications.

>  Integration
>
>  The integration with Windows is still pretty abysmal, but I'm not slating
>  the programs, just making a point. For example, whilst I'm glad to be able
>  to have WinPT I haven't found a way to access the WinPT key manager except
>  via WinPT. My email client provides a path to a keymanager but unless
>  there's no way (I know of) to call the key manager part).

I agree that integration is not as good as we want it to be, but this has to 
be discussed on each point seperately as there is always room for 
improvement. With WinPT out of the question, what would be your three most
missed integration points?

>  Are any of these things ever going to be considered in the later versions,
>  or are they being considered?

There is hope for a round of artwork funding,  
which will improve the looks a bit. 
For integration, icons and file associations we would 
need to check each point to see if we've missed it or left it out for a 
reason.

Best Regards,
Bernhard

-- 
Managing Director - Owner: www.intevation.net       (Free Software Company)
Germany Coordinator: fsfeurope.org. Coordinator: www.Kolab-Konsortium.com.
Intevation GmbH, Osnabrück, DE; Amtsgericht Osnabrück, HRB 18998
Geschäftsführer Frank Koormann, Bernhard Reiter, Dr. Jan-Oliver Wagner
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