Bot style preference

[MailMan]

My favorite style is console.

[tA-Kane]

An elaborate GUI with an option to do console only is nice.

Simple GUIs are good for newbies, who don't know how to navigate an elaborate GUI, and want to see more than a console can give.

It's hard to strike a balanced between elaborate and simple GUIs, but if you can do that, it'll increase your bot's potential user base.

[Camel]

it's always good to make apps as customizable as possible, but there is a tradeoff once you near bloatwear territory. if you can organize options well, and make the app as intuitive as possible, you can avoid bloatwear pretty effectively. of course, it's easier said than done

[K]

My current bot runs in a console environment, but I usually run it with a GUI plugin, so I chose the last option.

[Skywing]

I designed BinaryChat with a rather comprehensive GUI; however, it's also accessible over RFC-compatible Telnet, which might also count as console-ish.

[Camel]

I designed BinaryChat with a rather comprehensive GUI; however, it's also accessible over RFC-compatible Telnet, which might also count as console-ish.

ish. very ish.

[c0ol]

An elaborate GUI with an option to do console only is nice.

Simple GUIs are good for newbies, who don't know how to navigate an elaborate GUI, and want to see more than a console can give.

It's hard to strike a balanced between elaborate and simple GUIs, but if you can do that, it'll increase your bot's potential user base.

uhh the whole point of a GUI is so you dont have to know how to work it, it is supposed to be obvious.  A textbased interface is usually alot easier for an experianced user who knows how to use hence VI vs. M$ Word.

[Yoni]

A bit off-topic, but I wouldn't compare vi and MSWord. I would definitely prefer MSWord for school-homework-type stuff. Each one has its uses.

[c0ol]

its just 1 extreme to another, in VI u can fly around like nothing with all those commands, though it does take forever to learn.  With word any nub can use it, but its more cumbersome to even an experianced user.

[Skywing]

its just 1 extreme to another, in VI u can fly around like nothing with all those commands, though it does take forever to learn.  With word any nub can use it, but its more cumbersome to even an experianced user.

Try writing an english paper in Word and then writing it in VI.  You'll see what he's talking about.

[Kp]

I usually write my papers in vi, then switch over to Netscape / Word to check formatting codes and print.  I've tried writing papers in Word, but it's too hard to go back.  Command mode is good.