Different implementation for "Do not suspend timers when inactive"

[Kees-Jan Dijkzeul]

Hi,

For some time, Workrave has had a configuration option, where you could
disable the "suspend timers when inactive" feature, which is turned on by
default.

If I recall correctly, this option was added to make workrave more useful
to people reading the screen: Breaks would still come, regardless of
whether workrave had detected any activity.

Although I am not using this feature myself, I do not think it is working
really well in practice. The only time it will work, is if you are reading
the screen without being interrupted by anything else. Interruptions
(phone call, coffee break, visit the restroom) all count as activity,
regardless of how long the interruption takes (In my case, fetching coffee
definitely takes longer than a restbreak). Additionally, there have been
quite a few bugs found in the implementation. The last one is bug 719,
submitted only last month.

Recently, Michael Levin added a comment to bug 479 (which requests
implementation of a "reading mode"), that made me rethink the whole
suspend-timer-when-inactive thing. What Michael proposes, in short, is
that there be a new mode. In this mode, if the user becomes inactive, and
then active again before a natural break is complete, then the user is in
retrospect considered active anyway. Michaels goal was to read from the
screen while occasionally waving the mouse (or scrolling the document).
With this new mode, he'd be considered active the whole time, and get his
breaks in time.

My feeling is that Michaels suggestion will work much better than the
current "disable suspend-timer-when-inactive" approach, because it still
allows a "natural break" to take place if the user is interrupted long
enough. This way, when you return to the computer, you'll have the maximum
amount of time available, instead of finding that you have returned just
one minute before your break is due. Additionally, I would suspect that
this feature has less impact on workrave's design than the current
"disable suspend-timer-when-inactive", and hence less bugs are to be
expected.

I am tempted to conclude that it might be a good idea to completely scrap
the "disable suspend-timer-when-inactive" thingy, in favor of Michaels
proposal. I'm not sure what to call it yet. Maybe something like "Ignore
incomplete natural breaks" or something.

Any thoughts? Anyone still disabeling "suspend-timers-when-inactive"?

Thanks!

Groetjes,

Kees-Jan


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the new SourceForge.net Marketplace.
It's the best place to buy or sell services for
just about anything Open Source.
http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;164216239;13503038;w?http://sf.net/marketplace
_______________________________________________
Workrave-user mailing list
Workrave-user@...
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/workrave-user

[Ole Dahl Rasmussen-2]

Hi,

First of all thank you very much for a great piece of software. I use it every day and am sure that it has spared me plenty of RSI.

I am having troubles, however, with getting the status window to stay on top, even though I have ticked the "The status window stays always on top of other windows" in the User interface in Preferences.

As soon as I click other programs with the mouse, the status window disappears. I work on Windows XP using mostly Office 2003.

Best,
Ole

---

Ole Dahl Rasmussen
Programme Officer, Global Funding Unit

DanChurchAid/Folkekirkens Nødhjælp
Nørregade 15
DK-1165 Copenhagen K
Denmark
Tel [phone]
Mob [phone]
Fax [phone]
Skype: odrdca
MSN: odr@...
www.danchurchaid.org


****************************************************************************
Denne mail er blevet scannet af http://www.virus112.com 
****************************************************************************

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This SF.net email is sponsored by the 2008 JavaOne(SM) Conference
Don't miss this year's exciting event. There's still time to save $100.
Use priority code J8TL2D2.
http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;198757673;13503038;p?http://java.sun.com/javaone
_______________________________________________
Workrave-user mailing list
Workrave-user@...
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/workrave-user

[Rob Caelers]

Hello,

> First of all thank you very much for a great piece of software. I use it every day and am sure that it has spared me plenty of RSI.

Thanks!

> I am having troubles, however, with getting the status window to stay on top, even though I have ticked the "The status window stays always on top of other windows" in the User interface in Preferences.
>
> As soon as I click other programs with the mouse, the status window disappears. I work on Windows XP using mostly Office 2003.

Indeed. This bug will be fixed in the next version.

(You can also try a nightly build)

Thanks for reporting. I never noticed because I use the applet instead of the
status window.

Groetjes,
   Rob

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This SF.net email is sponsored by the 2008 JavaOne(SM) Conference
Don't miss this year's exciting event. There's still time to save $100.
Use priority code J8TL2D2.
http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;198757673;13503038;p?http://java.sun.com/javaone
_______________________________________________
Workrave-user mailing list
Workrave-user@...
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/workrave-user

[Joe Wells-5]

Rob Caelers <robc@...> writes:

>> I am having troubles, however, with getting the status window to
>> stay on top, even though I have ticked the "The status window stays
>> always on top of other windows" in the User interface in
>> Preferences.
>>
>> As soon as I click other programs with the mouse, the status window
>> disappears. I work on Windows XP using mostly Office 2003.
>
> Indeed. This bug will be fixed in the next version.

Is this fixed only for Windows or also for Linux?  I encounter a
similar problem under Linux, where the “The status window stays always
on top of other windows” option in the preferences has no effect
whatsoever.  Fortunately, I am able to get the window to stay on top
using the “On Top” entry in my window manager's per-window menu.  (My
window manager is Metacity, the default in Ubuntu Dapper Drake.)

I'm using Workrave 1.8.5, because I haven't been able to build 1.9.0
(as reported in earlier messages).

--
Joe


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge
Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes
Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world
http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/
_______________________________________________
Workrave-user mailing list
Workrave-user@...
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/workrave-user

[Rob Caelers]

Joe Wells wrote:

>>> I am having troubles, however, with getting the status window to
>>> stay on top, even though I have ticked the "The status window stays
>>> always on top of other windows" in the User interface in
>>> Preferences.

> Is this fixed only for Windows or also for Linux?  I encounter a

The problem is fixed on both windows and linux; at least I can't reproduce it
anymore on Linux... 1.9.0 is the first release with the fix.

Groetjes,
   Rob

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge
Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes
Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world
http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/
_______________________________________________
Workrave-user mailing list
Workrave-user@...
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/workrave-user

[Joe Wells-5]

Rob Caelers <robc@...> writes:

> Joe Wells wrote:
>
>>>> I am having troubles, however, with getting the status window to
>>>> stay on top, even though I have ticked the "The status window stays
>>>> always on top of other windows" in the User interface in
>>>> Preferences.
>
>> Is this fixed only for Windows or also for Linux?  I encounter a
>
> The problem is fixed on both windows and linux; at least I can't reproduce it
> anymore on Linux... 1.9.0 is the first release with the fix.

Thanks!  That explains why I am seeing the problem.  (I'm using
1.8.5.)

--
Joe


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This SF.Net email is sponsored by the Moblin Your Move Developer's challenge
Build the coolest Linux based applications with Moblin SDK & win great prizes
Grand prize is a trip for two to an Open Source event anywhere in the world
http://moblin-contest.org/redirect.php?banner_id=100&url=/
_______________________________________________
Workrave-user mailing list
Workrave-user@...
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/workrave-user