Package description not suitable for end-users

Steps to fix this:
1. draft a useful description here
2. submit a patch to Debian
3. sync once it's fixed in Debian

how about:

Instant messenger for GNOME
Empathy is an instant messaging and VOIP client capable of using Jabber, Salut, Google Talk, AIM, SIP, Gadu-Gadu, Groupwise, ICQ, IRC, MSN, QQ, and Yahoo.

Empathy also provides of a rich set of reusable instant messaging widgets for use in other GNOME applications. It uses Telepathy and Nokia's Mission Control, and reuses Gossip's UI.

I prefer "Audio/Video" instead of "VOIP".

and it's VoIP not VOIP by the way

"It uses Telepathy and Nokia's Mission Control, and reuses Gossip's UI." also assumes the reader would know about those. Either link to an extended description / resources or remove that.

VoIP assumes the reader knows the acronym, I'd agree Audio/Video should be mentioned, making it clear what protocols are supported for those.

Unless that protocols list is complete and permanent, I'd also add " and others" to it. I'd also remove IRC and SIP until they are in the interface.

I am also confused by "Salut". Is that Bonjour renamed because of trademark issues ?

On Wed, Nov 26, 2008 at 2:20 PM, Fabián Rodríguez <email address hidden> wrote:

>
> I am also confused by "Salut". Is that Bonjour renamed because of
> trademark issues ?
>

Yep, this is a link-local protocol from what I understand for chatting
with people on your LAN, so no need to have a server setup.
I'm sure a developer will provide you more information :)

--
Baptiste Mille-Mathias
Les gens heureux ne sont pas pressés

Proposed description, drawing from previous comments, Danny Piccirillo's draft in Bug #332371 [1] and Empathy documentation:

  Empathy Instant Messenger
  IM with your friends

  Instant messaging program supporting text, voice, video, file transfers and inter-application communication over many different protocols, including: AIM, MSN, Google Talk (Jabber/XMPP), Facebook, Yahoo!, Salut, Gadu Gadu, Groupwise, ICQ and QQ.

  Homepage: http://live.gnome.org/Empathy

[1] https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/empathy/+bug/332371

We just update the presentation of Empathy on http://live.gnome.org/Empathy:

"Empathy is a messaging program which supports text, voice, and video chat and file transfers over many different protocols. Empathy uses Telepathy for protocol support and has an user interface based on Gossip. Empathy is the default chat client in current versions of GNOME, making it easier for other GNOME applications to integrate collaboration functionality using Telepathy."

We now use this description on the bugzilla too so that could probably be used for the pkg description as well.

mpt objected, originally, to mentions of Telepathy. How about:

Empathy is a chat program which supports text, voice, and video chat and file transfers via many different services, including: AIM, MSN, Google Talk (Jabber/XMPP), Facebook, Yahoo!, Salut, Gadu Gadu, Groupwise, ICQ and QQ. (Supported protocols depend on installed components.) You can tell it about your accounts on all those services and do all your chatting within one application.

  Homepage: http://live.gnome.org/Empathy

Well the long description has already been changed on debian and ubuntu to:

 Instant messaging program supporting text, voice, video, file transfers
 and inter-application communication over many different protocols,
 including: AIM, MSN, Google Talk (Jabber/XMPP), Facebook, Yahoo!, Salut,
 Gadu-Gadu, Groupwise, ICQ and QQ.