GNU bug report logs - #76035
Gnus: obsoleting picons support?

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: Gnus: obsoleting picons support?
Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2025 22:56:58 +0000

Severity: wishlist

See the defcustom `gnus-picon-databases` and related code.

This seems to owe to an early-web experiment from, by the looks of
things, 1997:

    "picons" is short for "personal icons". They're small, constrained
    images used to represent users and domains on the net, organized
    into databases so that the appropriate image for a given e-mail
    address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picons
    databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons
    are in either or both monochrome XBM and color XPM formats, plus a
    GIF format.

https://web.archive.org/web/20160613182117/www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html
https://kinzler.com/ftp/faces/picons/

Is this feature still relevant in 2025?  Should it be obsoleted?

Message #8 received at 76035 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Andrew Cohen <acohen <at> ust.hk>
To: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 76035 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#76035: Gnus: obsoleting picons support?
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2025 08:26:33 +0800

>>>>> "SK" == Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com> writes:

    SK> Severity: wishlist See the defcustom `gnus-picon-databases` and
    SK> related code.

    SK> This seems to owe to an early-web experiment from, by the looks
    SK> of things, 1997:

    SK>     "picons" is short for "personal icons". They're small,
    SK> constrained images used to represent users and domains on the
    SK> net, organized into databases so that the appropriate image for
    SK> a given e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains,
    SK> there are picons databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather
    SK> forecasts. The picons are in either or both monochrome XBM and
    SK> color XPM formats, plus a GIF format.


I asked on emacs.gnus.general and found no one actively usings it
(although only a handful of responses).

I used to use it personally, but stopped a decade ago. I am in favor of
obsoleting it (although there might always be someone out there who is
using it).

Best,
Andy
-- 
Andrew Cohen

Message #11 received at 76035 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Colin Baxter <m43cap <at> yandex.com>
To: Andrew Cohen <acohen <at> ust.hk>
Cc: 76035 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Subject: Re: bug#76035: Gnus: obsoleting picons support?
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2025 06:40:51 +0000

>>>>> Andrew Cohen <acohen <at> ust.hk> writes:

>>>>> "SK" == Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com> writes:
    SK> Severity: wishlist See the defcustom `gnus-picon-databases` and
    SK> related code.

    SK> This seems to owe to an early-web experiment from, by the looks
    SK> of things, 1997:

    SK> "picons" is short for "personal icons". They're small,
    SK> constrained images used to represent users and domains on the
    SK> net, organized into databases so that the appropriate image for
    SK> a given e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains,
    SK> there are picons databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather
    SK> forecasts. The picons are in either or both monochrome XBM and
    SK> colour XPM formats, plus a GIF format.


    > I asked on emacs.gnus.general and found no one actively usings it
    > (although only a handful of responses).

    > I used to use it personally, but stopped a decade ago. I am in
    > favor of obsoleting it (although there might always be someone out
    > there who is using it).

Sorry to be dim, but what does making picons obsolete actually mean?
Will functions such as gnus-picons-installed-p, gnus-treat-from-picon,
gnus-treat-mail-picon, gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon, etc be removed?

Colin Baxter.

Message #14 received at 76035 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
To: m43cap <at> yandex.com, Andrew Cohen <acohen <at> ust.hk>
Cc: 76035 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#76035: Gnus: obsoleting picons support?
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2025 16:52:09 +0000

Colin Baxter <m43cap <at> yandex.com> writes:

>     > I used to use it personally, but stopped a decade ago. I am in
>     > favor of obsoleting it (although there might always be someone out
>     > there who is using it).

Thanks, that's some data at least.

> Sorry to be dim, but what does making picons obsolete actually mean?
> Will functions such as gnus-picons-installed-p, gnus-treat-from-picon,
> gnus-treat-mail-picon, gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon, etc be removed?

They will be marked as obsolete, which means they are due for removal at
some point in the future.  This is normally after 10 years, give or take.

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