Forums Feature Suggestions Make mIRC more user-friendly

Well mIRC is definitely the best IRC client, no doubt about it, however to make it more user-friendly I would suggest changing a bit the UI. Like, have easy-access buttons in the top of each channel window with related commands (join, part, rejoin, etc). I think that would be quite handy, instead of using the right-click menu or writing the command we could easily point and click.

Join what? You are already in the channel you are facing and /join requires a parameter anyway. Part button is already there in a sense, it's the bottom X at the top right. You have a point with rejoin though there is the short, easy to remember and use /hop command.

mIRC's GUI is probably the best in the business, with Bersirc coming a close second. Why? because they are uncluttered and leave heaps of room for the important bit, the channel window and nickname listbox.

I'm not against a new toolbar, don't get me wrong there though I would like the option of disabling such an addition as the clean look of mIRC is what makes me use it.

Yeay! A "Rejoin" button!

"What's this do?"
*clicky* *clicky* *clicky* *clicky* *clicky*

lol

Dudes next time think before replying...
Not everybody wants to waste their time writing commands all the time... sure, you guys like the way mIRC is, i also like... but there are many people out there that don't know many commands or don't wanna type them all the time.

Well i know that some time ago, some laughed of the idea of mIRC having favorite channels just like IE... well take a look at mIRC now... lol...

Yeah I did laugh at the idea of favorite channels, and I also laugh at 6.1... what's your point?

I personally don't think mIRC, and indeed most other programs, need to be made more "user friendly". It's my personal opinion that this "user friendly" attitude to computer programs has bred a culture of users who are totally incapable of utilizing a help file or any other documentation written for any given piece of software.

The evidence of that is present on this forum where people have posted questions that are easily found in the help file. On the other hand, I guess laziness could also be a factor.

So, in an attempt to bring this meandering post to a conclusion:

1) mIRC really is at a level where it is easy enough to pick up and use without reading the help file (*sigh*)

2) Making mIRC any more user friendly would, imo, make it almost patronising to use

3) If people STILL find it hard to use mIRC, direct them to its help file. It's what it was written for.

mIRC has always had a Channels list, as long as I remember. It was just recently renamed to Favorites.

If someone wants a "push button interface", they can download any of the thousands of mIRC scripts out there which do exactly that. If Khaled started adding buttons, the *majority* of mIRC users would seek ways to remove them. Dialogs are for wimps, and everybody has their own ideas for a GUI layout, so few people would ever be satisfied anyway. Another problem is that every network has different commands, and these commands can only be learned by reading and typing them out as they vary so drasticly.

If you came to IRC so you can complain about typing, you don't belong on IRC.

- Raccoon
"AOL is so easy to use, no wonder it's #1"

I agree whole-heartedly



Pun intended? :P

Like Racoon said, if there were a bunch of new buttons most people would complain to no end.

Also, however, I have a question or two. First off, how is right clicking to get a popup less convenient? With popups, you have a big window that you can click on anywhere, and the popups themselves (usually) state their purpose pretty clearly. If you had buttons in the toolbar though, they would be smaller and thus slightly more difficult to click (at least on a bigass resolution with a tiny monitor ^.^b) Also, they do not state their purpose clearly usually, unless you wait for the tooltip. So you'd have to hover over the button for a couple seconds, and continue doing so till you found the one you want. So inconvenient.

Also, as stated by someone else whose name I don't remember, there are scripts out there. I'd hazard to guess that if you have problems memorizing the basic commands like join, part, and hop, then you probably can't script to make your own, but you can google (Idle note, amazing how google has become a verb) something like "mIRC front end"

Finally, I was thinking maybe if you need something a bit more "friendly" (*read "flamingly annoying and filled with buttons all over the place that you have no clue as to what they do") you might just google "IRC clients" and look through the results until you find a different one. I hear vIRC is very.. erm.. buttonfull, among others.

Don't forget that people would have differing ideas on what buttons should be added. Meaning this proposed a "rejoin" button, well then maybe someone else wants a "whois" button or a "who" button, and the list goes on and on...

actually i like dialogs and buttons to make things quicker , but i certainly wouldnt want khaled defining what is simpler for me. the base mirc is fine the way it is(with a few of the 6.1 additions removed that is). if ppl want to add these buttons they should have to learn how to do it themselves. thats exactly why the whole scripts idea is there, so u can modify and add to it. If there was all this extra crap everyone keeps wanting then there would be no need for remotes and alias's at all. and to codemastr, this post wasnt really directed at u , your just the bottom of the list at the moment.

There are also several nice dlls out there that will let you add buttons to the toolbar or even create your own toolbars.

It's a sad thing that so many people equate "user friendly" and "unusable". Really. But don't make that mistake easily, and don't make it from high horses. Because it so easily (and often) becomes elitist dravel. Usability is always good. And so is "user friendliness". Always. It's just that getting there isn't as easy as adding more shortcut buttons.

It's perfectly reasonable to link 'user friendly' with 'unusable'. To me, a program is unusable if it molly-coddles you through each and every one of its functions. I, and probably many others, don't want to feel as though I am being wrapped in cotton wool when using my computer. If, on the other hand, I become stuck when using a program I consult its help documentation. It's why it is there, right? Should that be considered 'elitist'?



What is elitist about not wanting to be patronised by a piece of software? There is a vast difference between making a program obvious to use and literally having to show someone where to place the mouse pointer to perform a certain action (for example). In my opinion (and other people's in this thread too), mIRC is easy to use as it is and doesn't need to be made any more 'user friendly'.




Where did I say anything about shortcut buttons?

To draw this to a close, all my posts were to say that mIRC really IS 'user friendly' and it doesn't NEED to be made more so. If people still find it hard to use... they shoud consult the help file!

I think he was agreeing with you on the point about "adding more shortcut buttons doesn't make a program user-friendly". And it doesn't. You waste more time skimming around a matrix of clicky things when you can easily remember the short 3 to 6 letter command. If you suffer severe problems of memory retension, then have someone write a script especially for you.

"AOL is so easy to use, no wonder it's #1"

Edit: oops, I said that already.

Looking back on it, I hope my previous post didn't come across as a bit strong/harsh. It wasn't intended to be. So if it is, I apologise to vague



Darn those clicky things to heck

This is a generic reply to some of the more negative comments in this thread.



In the whole, mIRC is relatively easy to use. It has (in my opinion) very easy to naviage menu systems, and very simple and well layed out (for the most part) dialogs.

The help file could be better (but that is pure opinion, and mine at that), but it is useable, and does point out how to do things.

I should also point out, that a very well planned UI will always be a pleasure to use, and "minimalistic" (ie, tries to minimise the amount of clicking or typing to be done by the user).

If a dialog is well planned, and properly implemented, it will be effortless to use.


I should also point out that there will always be circumstances in which popups, dialogs, or commandsets will need to be used. When this is the case, one can usually find an equivalent command for it, or a method to make it quicker.


As it stands, mIRC is quite a capable piece of softare, from both a UI perspective, and a developer perspective.
If you can't find your way around it, then you shouldn't be using computers.

Hehe, then I'll try to avoid phrasing myself harshly as well=)

My point really was exactly that "user friendly" and "annoying" or "patronising", by abuse of the term, has come to mean the same thing to many people. I think your original post was too assuming about the original posters intensions when he used the word "user friendly". You just assumed he wanted to sugar-coat eveything and make them unusable to boot. This defensive position, while understandable, is unfortunate because it makes it too easy to dismiss potential changes towards real "user friendliness" (i.e. not unusability) as unworthy. It misses the fact that there are real usability issues with mIRC and that it could be improved.

<harsh>
The attitude demonstrated on this thread (don't remember by whom) that people who don't want to use /commands shouldn't be on IRC in the first place is ridiculous and elitistic. I, and many others, don't want IRC to be the "secret club and handshake" of the few initiated, of the few computer-savvy enough. I really couldn't care less if someone navigate IRC by /commands, popups, or cute little furry animals. If they are on there to chat, power to them. I really think it's equally ridiculous to suggest that a buttonbar on each channel window would ruin mIRC (especially as they would with 100% certainty be optional). The whole attitude that "it's good enough for me, by golly, it should be good enough for anyone" is treacherous and a certain way to get stuck in mediocricy.

mIRC, as the whole computer interface is _not_ user-friendly enough, we're _not_ at the end of the line. But making it more user-friendly is _not_ always about dumbing down the interface and making it less usable. That is, in fact, making it more user-atagonistic. Stop thinking about new features you would not use (and ignore other people when they think of them) and start thinking about new features you would like to use.
</harsh>

(oops, i failed, that shounded harsh, ohh well, please note that you didn't singlehandidly work up to that, you seem to be a generally nice person, think instead that this is one of the many minor points of irritation of someone who can't write short sentences (me)) =)

heheh... your post wasn't that bad :tongue:

How would you personally make the mIRC interface more userfriendly?