Links

JabberView

JabberStudio

JabberTools

JabCast

What To Leave Out

One of the most common complaints I have heard about the popular ICQ client is that it has become too bloated.  Not only does this add to the complexity that the users face learning and navigating the application, but also increases the system resources used on the users system.

What are great features and what is software bloat is very subjective.  Essentially it comes down to the fact that the features that the user regularly uses are features, and the rest (to them) is bloat.  Obviously this will differ between users, but a good guide before adding a feature is to try to decide on a balance between programming time and effort, resources used, and feature usefulness.  It is also very important to consider if the particular feature would be better to be implemented as a separate application, or as part of a different application.

My personal list of 'features' that should not be included in a Jabber Instant Messaging client include:

• Calendar
• To-do list
• Notepad
• Birthday reminder
• Email client
• TV Guide
• Internet Search
• Web Browser

That is not to say that all these are not useful, but in most cases they would be better to be written as separate applications, or implemented as Jabber Bots.  If you feel the urge to add functions that you think a large number of your users will not need or use, I would suggest creating a plugin spec for your client, and implementing these features as plugins.  This means that users that want them can download and install them, and those that choose not to don't have to waste the system resources.  It also has the advantage that other authors can write plugins to enhance your client with features that you may not have thought of, or do not have the time or desire to implement.