Comment 195 for bug 332945

On Tue, 2009-04-14 at 09:26 +0000, Matthew Paul Thomas wrote:
>
> ami_nakata: Not only is it an implementation detail whether an
> automatically-opening window is from a newly-running application or an
> already-running application, it's an implementation detail whether *any*
> window is from a newly-running application or an already-running
> application.

I think the point here is not to try to draw lines in the sand about
who/what is opening windows but why they are being opened. A window
that opens because I did something or because it's relevant to an
application I am using is expected and non-intrusive.

A window that opens that has nothing to do with what I am doing at the
moment presumes that what it wants done is more important than what I am
doing because it feels like it can interrupt *my* time to deal with it.

That's just rude.

To analogize to a real life situation... I may be with a group of people
discussing something and it's perfectly fine for any one of those people
to start talking and offer opinion on the conversation -- that is not
interruption, but it is absolutely not alright for somebody to come
interrupt the group to tell us about his family vacation last summer.

It would be alright for somebody to come interrupt us to tell us the
building we are in is on fire, but IMHO, update notification is not
analogous to the building is burning down. That's why it belongs off to
the side, as an unobtrusive icon I can notice and take action, when it's
convenient for me.