Ubuntu – Why are the MeMenu and the messaging applet two separate things

indicatormemenumessaging-menu

When I look at them, their functionality seems to overlap so much that they could almost be merged:

  • The MA is used to open Gwibber, but the MM is used to set the accounts and broadcast messages.
  • The MA is used to open Empathy, but the MM is used to set the accounts and set a status (available, busy…).

All these could well be in different sections, either in the MA or the MM:

  • Chat (set status, accounts).
  • Mail (send mail, contacts).
  • Broadcast (send message, accounts).
  • Ubuntu One.
  • About me.

So, why the decision to split them in two different indicators, thus taking extra space in the panel?

Best Answer

Answered by MPT in the Ayatana mailing list:

Only because no-one has done the design work necessary to work out how to merge them.

So, hopefully, they can be merged at some point.

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