Workspaces - Applications can't switch focus to other workspaces

[Jon Hanna]

1. Open Thunderbird.
2. Move to a different workspace
3. Open Firefox.
4. Click on "Mail", "Compose Mail" or "Contacts" in the message indicator.

Expected behaviour: Switches to workspace Thunderbird is in, and focuses on appropriate window there. Ideally with whatever animations etc. are set in Compiz for workspace changes (e.g. rotating the cube if using that).
Actual behaviour: New mail or Contacts window opened (if the option chosen) in the correct workspace. Icon in launcher dances jig.

5. Manually move to the workspace Thunderbird is in.
6. Click on a link in an email.

Expected behaviour: Opens link in Firefox tab, and switches to the workspace it is in.
Actual behaviour: New tab opens in Firefox, whose icon does it's "look at me" jig, but workspace remains. User may click link a few more times, if they don't spot the jig.

There's good reasons for restricting attention-grabbing from applications, and all the more so across workspaces, but when I've actively done something to bring about results in an application, I expect to see it. As is, the mail-related menu items in the message indicator in particular aren't very useful as the strength of their functionality is inversely proportional to whether you need them, or can just see your mail client anyway.

[Bilal Akhtar (bilalakhtar)]

Design team needs to decide when the workspace should change, and in which cases the icon should just wiggle.