Notification Area Getting Cluttered

[windsurfer]

The "notification area" is getting cluttered by programs that don't need to be there. For instance, tracker, nm-applet, gnome-power-manager, sound-preferences, and bluetooth all currently sit in the notification area. They are not notifying anyone about anything.

Please see the Gnome HIG for "notification area": http://library.gnome.org/devel/hig-book/stable/desktop-notification-area.html.en

A clip from the HIG:
"The utility of the notification area decreases rapidly when more than about four icons are always present. For this reason, icons that appear only temporarily in response to events are preferable."

[Itai Molenaar (imolenaar-deactivatedaccount)]

I think this qualifies as a paper cut.

[windsurfer (windsurfer619)]

It might be more than a paper cut as it affects many packages, and could involve a lot of work depending on how each package is handling the notification area.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

not gnome-panel fault if other softwares put icons there

[Vish (vish)]

Thank you for bringing this bug to our attention. However, a paper cut should be a small usability issue, in the default Ubuntu 9.10 install, that affects many people and is quick and easy to fix. So this bug can't be addressed as part of this project.

-nm-applet, gnome-power-manager, sound-preferences, and bluetooth are all notifications , I'm not sure what your reasoning is here! These do notify the status of the devices.
-gnome-power-manager by default does not use the notification area unless the user has set it up specifically.
-nm-applet , for wireless/mobile users , is very essential notification of the signal strength.
-sound-preferences and bluetooth can be removed from the notification area from the startup items list, for users who use them they are notifications of the status/level of volume.
-And tracker does not use the notification area in Karmic.
Every other app which uses the notification area, is in the area because of the user's preference and can be removed if the user does not want to view them.

For further information about papercuts criteria, please read https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PaperCut.

The only issue here is the nm-applet which is the only app which cannot be configured. For wired users this would still indicate the status when disconnected.
This would be a bug only with nm-applet. Kindly re-assign it to nm-applet.

[windsurfer (windsurfer619)]

Hi mac_v,

The Gnome HIG clearly states that a program does not belong in the notification area if "clicking your notification area icon does anything other than opening a window directly associated with the icon (e.g. a mail folder window for a new mail icon, or a print queue window for printer notification icon)"

It states that such functionality belongs with an applet.

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

gnome-applets doesn't use the notification area but is a collection of applets as the name indicates

[Vish (vish)]

--Sebastien Bacher, I think it is part of the gnome-applets. is it not?
Help lists it as a> Notification area "Applet"
Introduction to the Desktop / Using the Panels / Default Panel Objects / Notification Area Applet

Also, i couldnt find an alternate appropriate package for the notification area are alone.

--Adam Bielinski , This bug is still active , but not a papercut , since this requires a ot more effort , creating new applets is not a papercuts task.

On a side note , *If you had read the page fully* , just below that you would also notice > http://library.gnome.org/devel/hig-book/stable/desktop-notification-area.html.en#notification-area-animation

Where it states :
" They may change to indicate a change of state, but should not do so when that change is occurs regularly rapidly. A battery status indicator would usually change slowly, therefore an icon is appropriate. "
Similar to the power meter, the nm-applet , bluetooth , volume are also state indicators , it is about the state of the system too

Just reading a part of the HIG , sometimes can be confusing ;)

[Vish (vish)]

Sebastien Bacher , Oh ... and i had added the gnome-applets because , for the wired users the constant presence of the nm icon may not be needed , the icon could be displayed only when disconnected or some other error [if user chooses, similar to gpm] .

[Sebastien Bacher (seb128)]

could people stop reassigning that to gnome-panel and gnome-applets that's not the right component, the notification area is a container and it's not its fault if other applications are abusing it

[Greg Grossmeier (greg.grossmeier)]

Closing this bug for Ubuntu.

If you feel that an application is not following the GNOME HIG then please open a bug with that specific application not a general bug in Ubuntu.

Thanks for helping make Ubuntu better!