Messages on the left side when fullscreen

[AOmelaienko]

Just. WHY.

[elXiloX]

Besides the fact i find the left align horrendous, having my own pic on the left side of the messages too is just plain stupid...

I bet my ass that i was not the first or the last person to update and went straight to the settings to find out that i had no say on how the layout works...

This is no minor change like a background color or some crap like that, this is a MAYOR F* UP if you ask me.

I've tried to put it on 150% so my messages would be on the right side but that just looks like crap...

So PLEASE devs make this optional!

[HushedFox]

I got here from reddit searching for solution how to fix this issue (aka "feature") and registeted just to say this: Please, don't force us to use this new layout. I personally don't like it, neither my friends. The old one was more transparent and was visually better. Avatars repeated near every message - this is not something vert aesthetic. Or making any sense. Neither that wasted space on the right. Meanwhile I can't see other option than to revert to older version and never update again or change comunicator to something else.

[PandorasFox]

As something of another point against aligning all the messages to one side:

The only messaging clients I can think of off the top of my head that align all messages/content to one side are (most) IRC clients, and Steam's IM clients.

Both of these can get away with this since they're pretty much 100% text-based and already read from left to right all the time.

Using bubbles to contain content and then forcing them to one side is a really poor UX design, and there's a reason no other clients do it.

[AvalonWhite]

Why would you make such a radical change to the UI without heavily consulting the userbase and, not only that, not give an option to revert or alternate between UI modes? I had to install an older version of Telegram because of this apparently inoffensive change that ruins the whole user experience.

Perhaps you should listen to what we are saying instead of having the "deal with it" attitude. Such a massive uproar and repeated reports talking about the same issue should make it clear that your decision wasn't the best and you should reconsider.

[AvalonWhite]

As for those who, like me, can't stand this new layout...

https://updates.tdesktop.com/tsetup/tsetup.0.9.18.exe

[PascalReintjens]

Give us possibility to change this option in settings with menu like this:

One side Centred Old style

I can see why some people would like this new layout. But on the other hand, it leaves more than half of my screen completely empty, and when I want to find a message of myself in a conversation with lots of people, it's not possible anymore to simply scroll up and only concentrate on the right side, where only your own messages are. That said, the old layout suited me way better. A simple option like @DaFri-Nochiterov suggested would be great ;)

[felixfoertsch]

I will stop following this discussion, because to me it seems obvious, that an option is needed. If that doesn't happen, you lost me as user. And I was a heavy advocate of Telegram and Tdesktop. Yes, it's that simple.

[jhalt]

I will stop following this discussion, because to me it seems obvious, that an option is needed. If that doesn't happen, you lost me as user. And I was a heavy advocate of Telegram and Tdesktop. Yes, it's that simple.

I agree.

[diazbastian]

@felixfoertsch and @jhalt please threats are not constructive. However you are free to use the service you want, but you better bring ideas or arguments to the discussion. Thank you.

[brawaru]

I will literally stop using Telegram within the next week if there isn't an option.

So sorry to lose you..... Oh... What @telegramdesktop does? How Telegram will live without you? (Sarcasm)

[felixfoertsch]

I somehow was re-subscribed (probably because of my edit).

@diazbastian Sorry, if you felt this was a threat. It wasn't.

For me there is no discussion anymore, because the solution seems really simple. Add a checkbox: use widescreen mode (or something similar). The code is there for both options, so it's literally just adding a switch. Also there are other options in this thread, like @draeath offset idea.

All your do is argue opinion on something that can be relegated to taste. One shouldn't argue about taste. It's a waste of time and energy.

And if tdesktop is not enjoyable for me anymore (I have to use 125% mode now, to reproduce old behavior), I'll switch to an alternative. Not threatening, just a statement.

[jhalt]

@diazbastian All you've been doing is forcing your opinion on other users and telling us why we should like the new UI.

The fact of the matter is that only a small portion of the many people disappointed with this update found the Github issue tracker, created accounts, and reported that they don't like the new UI. There are far more people who dislike this update than have posted here.

Stop telling us why it's good. If a lot of users disagree, then clearly it's not. Making it optional is the only thing that makes sense based on the reaction from the user-base.

[diazbastian]

@felixfoertsch It's okay. I agree with you, do not argue about taste, I prefer the functionality approach.

@jhalt I'm not forcing anyone, it was you who agreed to stop using Telegram if the change is not taking place. I do not agree with his approach of "if many people say it's good, it's because it is." Do you remember the Nazis? many people agreed...

[HushedFox]

@diazbastian Did you just use argumentum ad Hitlerum? This clearly means you lost this discussion.

[FlamebergUA]

He's just trolling. He's not here to hear anyone, as he has proven more than once.

I will stop following this discussion, because to me it seems obvious, that an option is needed. If that doesn't happen, you lost me as user. And I was a heavy advocate of Telegram and Tdesktop. Yes, it's that simple.

I'm unsubsribing too: I've made my point, if Tdesktop will hear us - great. If they ignore us - well, I'll stay at 0.9.18 and eventually will abandon Telegram for something else (or maybe switch to other Telegram desktop client? There are other third-party versions, right?).

I've made my friends, family, my office switch to Telegram and now I'm looking for other messengers and/or Telegram desktop clients. This just sucks. Oh, but I'm glad that some percentage of people who have 4k displays are now happy. Go team tdesktop! Yay!

[peteski22]

@diazbastian

"Do you remember the Nazis? many people agreed..."

Many did not, also the Nazis had dictatorial powers, much like what we are seeing now on this thread.

:(

[FlamebergUA]

As for @auchri 's argumentation that people seem not to like this feature because they come to github to complain: it does not proof anything of your point. So far it proves this to be the most serious issue with your telegram client ever.

Similiar thread at reddit - https://www.reddit.com/r/Telegram/comments/464i53/desktop_client_0924_messing_up_chats/

There's a reddit thread on a fork of telegram desktop client - dark skin version. And guess what people are asking the dev not to do? Not to include this 'much better' design of yours.

Or you can search twitter for 'telegram fulscreen' or 'telegram desktop' to see what people think of your 'actually better' design. Surprise: for them it's not.

But, come on, who cares about user experience? Ignore it at will: works for you - must work for everyone else.

[JnCoe]

Please, just create an option to change it back. The colors(light green/white) are not that different and avatar pics are not enough to distinguish some people. Having my bubbles highlighted make it easier to create a "conversation geography", where I can easily identify some parts of the conversation.

[LucaRed]

The new layout is difficult to read. I propose to set a maximum chat width and then center the box, using the old layout.

Or maybe, fill a part of the screen with the emoji / sticker / GIFs pane.

[diazbastian]

@HushedFox Sorry, but I have not reduced my argument Hitler and less discredited my counterpart. You have lost the thread of the argument.You have lost the thread of the argument and attempts to discredit my argument referring to this.. Nor are we in the 90 to use the Law of Godwin, and in my case I use good analogy.

@peteski22 I'm truly sorry. It is best known analogy how a large group of people can make bad decisions. I have not referred to this group as he used German citizenship.

[CharlesAnjos]

I personally don't understand why would someone use a messenger on a fully maximized window, especially in high resolutions, but ok. I agree that all the messages on only one side is downright confusing, but then again, this is my personal opinion. I believe that the best approach would be customization, since everyone has valid views on this issue, which is highly subjective.

thank god that using a resized window keeps showing messages in diferent sides (mine are on the left, others are on the right)

[susnux]

I personally dislike the new layout, its harder to see which messages are from me when scrolling through the chat.

But at least it would be better to have the possibility to change the width of the left (contacts / groups) frame. At the moment, with all messages on the left, there is SUCH a wast of space on the right side so it would make sense to use it, like have multiple chats in one windows.

[flipmess]

@telegramdesktop << so... you making this whole thing themable or what? :)

[gilbertw1]

Just look at twitter, reddit, github, almost anywhere you can find discussion about telegram, and you can clearly see mountains of disapproval for this change. How far can you really put your head the sand and keep telling yourself (and us) that this arbitrary change is "better"?

This thread shows nothing but a complete lack of regard for your users. The solution is extremely simple and it's beyond me that your not even willing to consider it. I've seen many great arguments here against the new layout and even though you apparently don't see merit in ANY of them, the sheer number of voices behind them indicate otherwise.

And yea, we're clearly Nazis......if ever you wanted a quick and easy way to alienate your user base

[diazbastian]

@gilbertw1 What arguments?

Note: Please do not misrepresent my example, that produce unnecessary fights. You assume that there is a democracy, and that the mass makes better decisions.

[PandorasFox]

...Why are people still feeding the troll?

[diazbastian]

@Arcaena Imagine talking about me, it is not the first time you're referring to me like that. Please, I have treated you with respect. We maintain a good atmosphere in this discussion. Thank you.

[ejm]

@Arcaena Probably because that's all there is left to do until there is some indication of things changing? Honestly the idea seems pretty clear, make these changes togglable... now we just need to either rely on the official devs to do it or someone should fork tdesktop and do it themsevles

[Aokromes]

I like the suggestion of https://github.com/telegramdesktop/tdesktop/issues/1587#issuecomment-184913787 maybe a good idea can be a setting for "offset messages" from 0% to 100% + move own messages to right.

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[danwad]

This issue has just reached the status of most commented issue of all time, after 9 days.

If user feedback is valued, this has to be significant?

[LucaRed]

There are four of my friends who use Telegram on the desktop that they told me about their dislike for this new layout, but since they don't even know what GitHub is, they can't comment on this issue.

By the way, we should all ping Durov on Twitter.

[sinaa]

This new change is awful in terms of readability.

At least provide an option, given that people have different reading preferences.

[Cassolotl]

I've got friends who'll never join Github to comment on this, but who vehemently dislike the new layout. So I'm commenting for them too.

I mostly use Telegram narrowed and to one side of my monitor so the update mostly doesn't bother me, but I really do think a toggle in the settings would be good. Also, I really dislike the avatars being repeated unnecessarily now. So yeah, this update, not good. So many complaints, people signing up just to object to this, people threatening to leave Telegram over it, it's fair to say that this hasn't been implemented well. But yes, some people like the change, so a toggle rather than just switching it back seems best!

[Shadorino]

@diazbastian I honestly think that you are the one that lost the argument by comparing us to mindless cattle and Nazis. And we do not assume that the mass makes better decisions, but in this case it does. We are saying from the beginning that it's a bad decision and that very few people like the new presentation, but we still only asked to be able to choose, not simply revert back.

The way it was before is objectively better, no point discussing that. But we are still only asking for a setting to choose (99 % of people will use the old way which will make this setting's existence questionable though)

[diazbastian]

@Shadorino

I honestly think that you are the one that lost the argument by comparing us to mindless cattle and Nazis. And we do not assume that the mass makes better decisions, but in this case it does.

It really is? you have not told me why. For many reasons meritocracy is the right choice to select the best solution to a problem in the development of software, but not to dwell on an issue that is not for me, I want to make the following clarification.

The problem discussed here is the alignment of messages TDesktop using the window width and full screen mode. The problem is accentuated in high resolution monitors (to solve this problem does not arise out of nowhere, you can search and read previous reports on this topic). Classical aligned arrangement on each side bubbles still available, a smaller window size and using the compact mode.

We are saying from the beginning that it's a bad decision and that very few people like the new presentation, but we still only asked to be able to choose, not simply revert back.

Considering the above, here they have been discussed alternative solutions that do not consider return to the previous design, but using that premise I propose the following: Using TDesktop on wide or full screen window a third panel appears to the right. It can display contextual information, emoji, stickers, GIF, etc. Classic design bubble remains in the center.

The way it was before is objectively better, no point discussing that. But we are still only asking for a setting to choose (99 % of people will use the old way which will make this setting's existence questionable though)

Of course, it is better in some circumstances, so that design is so used messaging applications today. The point is to solve a problem that arises in this design in other conditions. About your other comment, unfortunately I do not have precognitive powers.

Cheers

[FlamebergUA]

This is not something you need magical powers to deal with.

Theoretical example: there's a new guy in head of development of Telegram and he decides that UI must be redone using Comic Sans, pink background, glittering stickers, ponies intstead of emoji, etc.

Now, after this 'WAY BETTER' design gets implemented, dozens of users swarm to github and say they don't like it.

Let's assume in this scenario devs DO hear the people and make a switch. So, by default you get glittering comic sans on pink background, but you could switch to the default setting.

Can you presume that most people will use the old design or you'll say: 'Hey, I do not have precognitive powers"?

Now, if you can grasp my idea - I'd like to say how this SHOULD be done: before you implement some design idea that will work for 1% of users, you should run this thing through some users, test it, look for possible design flaws - and ONLY THEN should you release it. This is how serious software made: testing, testing, testing, testing, not 'HURR DURR THIS MIGHT WORK DERP DERP RELEASE THE KRAKEN'.

So calm down with your expert opinion, will ya?

[diazbastian]

@FlamebergUA I still can not know what will happen in the future. As much as we discuss in this thread, we will not be participating in the decisions taken by the Telegram team.

As a related issue, take the time to read the following: https://core.telegram.org/tsi/feature_philosophy

Finally all changes in TDesktop tested in the development version. Before the stable release, TDesktop tested a configuration with center-aligned and blank on each side messages. Then he tried the alignment of messages left. Remember again that these changes only affect TDesktop use in certain circumstances, moreover TDesktop still displays messages as before.

Cheers

[FlamebergUA]

Any new feature must be useful to at least 5% of the userbase (and 50% is better) Any new feature must be useful at least 5% of the time (and 50% is better)

How 4k monitor support that messes with people using low-res monitors is better?

Here's browser screen stats for you: http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_display.asp

Most people by Jan 2016 still use 1366x768. I've shown you with screenshots here WHY THIS IS WORSE THAN BEFORE.

Read what you post links to before you make others read it, ok, genius?

[susnux]

Yes a lot of my friends (and my selfe) use laptops with 1366x768 screen. And I often use telegram in full screen when in an active conversation and then all messages on one side is very annoying (even I am not colorblind), but I want to focus on the messages from the others not get interrupted by my own.

And what is so difficult with adding a simple button: Use old chat layout. ? It is only one more option and maybe on or two "if"s, and 10-99% more tdesktop users would be happy.

[Aokromes]

@FlamebergUA i have 4k monitor and i hate the new way xD

[PandorasFox]

@diazbastian

Remember again that these changes only affect TDesktop use in certain circumstances, moreover TDesktop still displays messages as before.

"certain circumstances" being having the window be 1120px wide or less, which a majority of users do not. 1366x768p users will either have the window fullscreen and looking pretty unusable, or half-size and really cramped. There's no real middle ground.

Also, noting that it still displays them the old way "in certain circumstances" is worthless - any feature improvement that requires users to change their workflow or setup to get the same or worse functionality (maybe there was a reason a lot of users liked having the window fullscreened?) is not an improvement.

also, to quote from the dev philosophy:

Any new feature must be useful to at least 5% of the userbase (and 50% is better) Any new feature must be useful at least 5% of the time (and 50% is better)

The feature is useful to maybe at most 5% of the userbase, and is detrimental to a much larger portion of the userbase, a majority of the time - or else there wouldn't be an absurd number of replies to this thread.

[diazbastian]

@FlamebergUA

This is the last time you exchange words with you, because you are not at all friendly.

This problem not due to use of TDesktop 4K screens instead 4K screen users are within the users affected by the central space wasted and complications in reading telegram messages using widescreen or maximized window.

Build on that this was a solution only for users with 4K monitors makes no sense to me.

[FlamebergUA]

@Aokromes great. Well, I've downgraded Tdesktop on all my PCs and we'll have to wait for tdesktop devs to revert this change or find another telegram desktop client fork that doesn't do this to our messages. Dark Telegram from reddit looks bad, but at least UX there is better.

I'm just glad that @diazbastian has nothing to do with decision-making and his argumentation is clearly poor, so he won't be influencing the devs decision in any way.

And, no, dizbastian, this is not a solution for full-screen users. You know why I'm not being friendly to you? I'm telling like for 10th time in this thread that I'm using telegram desktop on my 1366x768 laptop (MOST POPULAR RESOLUTION ON THE WEB!) and I'm having issues with using telegram, because I'm using it in fullscreen all the time. Tell me, how does this 'solves fullscreen problem', when I, full-screen user, am telling you it just created a new problem for me?

Your inability to comprehend the opinions of your opponents makes them less and less friendly towards you, and this is only your fault. Might we've been in a less civilized place and company, I'd guess some of users could resort to far less friendly lexicon towards you.

Your manipulation of facts makes your opponents even LESS cooperating: for example, your constant reference to feature philosophy ended in two users showing you your argument could be turned against you, yet you ignore this simple fact and reply in this thread as if nothing happened.

[diazbastian]

@Arcaena I'm using a monitor with 1366x768 resolution and is not unusable use TDesktop half screen or compact mode. This more players depending on the taste of users to a functional aspect of the application.

Keep in mind that this is one of the many changes in TDesktop UX. I really like the idea of having an extra side panel to handle emoji, stickers and GIF's. For me improve a lot in the TDesktop responsive design.

Cheers

[susnux]

@diazbastian

space wasted

As I said before: The new layout wastes more space as the old one (the complete right side). More over I never heard complaints about this "issue" from friends using telegram (even if they use 4k monitors). But now every one complains about this new "feature".

But one thing I do not get: Why do you (telegram desktop team) not fix this issue with the proposed option to switch back to good old style? It is not difficult, it makes every one happy and then this discussion would end. This discussion started 10 days ago, even I have not worked with the Tdesktop code I bet I would added such a feature in less then 1 hour.

[ejm]

@diazbastian

I'm using a monitor with 1366x768 resolution and is not unusable use TDesktop half screen or compact mode. This more players depending on the taste of users to a functional aspect of the application.

The problem is, the "taste of users" is overwhelmingly not using it in half-screen mode... because why would they. A change like this should fix a problem, not create new ones like it clearly has. Why do I, a user, have to change how I use Telegram to adjust to an entirely unnecessary feature added with seemingly little consensus?

@susnux

This discussion started 10 days ago, even I have not worked with the Tdesktop code I bet I would added such a feature in less then 1 hour.

Personally, if you think you could make this fix... do it! Please! Make a fork, get it working, make a PR for it to bring it back to mainline! I believe in you!

I contacted support thinking this was a bug, and they brought me here (where I commented earlier) to show me that it was just a heavily contested feature. I don't see how it has now apparently been ten days and the most commented issue in this repository and still no statement has been made as to what will become of this.

[diazbastian]

@susnux The wasted space moves from the center to the right. The reasons I mentioned earlier. You can also find related reports that led to the change here on github.

If you are able to solve the problem in one hour, I would ask you to please make a pull request. Many users would be happy with that.

[susnux]

Not sure about the restrictive merge rules:

Unfortunately we do not merge any pull requests that have new feature implementations, translations to new languages and those which introduce any new user interface elements.

So if it introduces a new checkbox (UI element) it would not get merged?

[ejm]

I don't think this would qualify as a new feature, it's more... Fixing a bug ;) And you're not making a new element (like a color picker), just a new setting On Feb 19, 2016 10:57 AM, "Ferdinand Thiessen" notifications@github.com wrote:

Not sure about the restrictive merge rules:

Unfortunately we do not merge any pull requests that have new feature implementations, translations to new languages and those which introduce any new user interface elements.

So if it introduces a new checkbox (UI element) it would not get merged?

— Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub https://github.com/telegramdesktop/tdesktop/issues/1587#issuecomment-186275572 .

[tazhate]

That's absolutely sucks. Messages from me should be from left.