I think that now that this is getting a code review it might be a good time to speak up. For me the fact that the "poof" effect apes an outdated and inherited idiom from a certain fruity desktop is reason enough to nuke it from space. The cartoony effect looks out of place in a desktop focused on clean design and elegance. Now that pantheon's notifications have a set of modern and appealing animations the inconsistency has become even more dramatic. I believe that the notification appearance animation (reversed and tweaked) provides a template for a more appealing effect.
I think that now that this is getting a code review it might be a good time to speak up. For me the fact that the "poof" effect apes an outdated and inherited idiom from a certain fruity desktop is reason enough to nuke it from space. The cartoony effect looks out of place in a desktop focused on clean design and elegance. Now that pantheon's notifications have a set of modern and appealing animations the inconsistency has become even more dramatic. I believe that the notification appearance animation (reversed and tweaked) provides a template for a more appealing effect.