Comment 11 for bug 811769

Unfortunately this bug report seems to have mixed three distinct issues.

First, it asks for the default setting to be reverted from showing whenever there is a battery (Gnome behavior) to showing only when charging/discharging (previous Ubuntu behavior). Javier has quoted the part of the specification where I explained why I think the Gnome behavior is better. The counterarguments posted to that have been "I'm rather attached to that functionality" and "Ubuntu has been shipping this way for 5 years and I haven't heard of support calls or angry users due to this". For the former, it should take about 20 seconds to restore the old behavior. For the latter, a Web search finds numerous examples:
<http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1334167>
<http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1665580>
<http://jaypeeonline.net/tips-tricks/howto-add-ubuntu-battery-power-applet/>
<http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1566976>
<http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1687349>

Second, that there should be an interface for people who (like Jeremy) do want to change the behavior. I've specified how this interface should look and work.

Third, that the interface should follow the existing setting for people who are upgrading ("this bug is that indicator-power should follow that setting"). I have no opinion on that, except that if it's possible to tell that someone did not customize the behavior at all, it may make sense to migrate them to the new default.