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Contributor PaddyLandau on brainstorm.ubuntu.com

Boost new ideas  
Written by LSenf the 1 May 12 at 15:28. Category: Website structure. New
Currently, the most popular ideas have the most prominent position on ubuntu brainstorm.

However, an idea that already has several hundreds of votes (and practically is already decided) needs less attention than one recently created.

For example, I recently proposed a solution to an idea that now has five votes, all positive. But apparently, it is hardly noticed by anyone else.
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Solution #1: Create a new tab for ideas that need attention
Written by LSenf the 1 May 12 at 15:28.
Instead of only offering the most popular ideas, add a tab for ideas that only have few votes.

Additionally, ideas that are voted about 50-50 and so still need votes for a real decision should also be shown there.

The date an idea was created should not make a difference here.
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Solution #2: Guide the user explicitly through the votes
Written by LSenf the 1 May 12 at 15:33.
Add a feature that "feeds" the user one idea after another, instead of making the user search ideas to vote for.

This should also give priority to new ideas and ideas still needing a clear decision.

It could be implemented either as a new tab, a part of the dash or even the main page.

In case the user is interested in a specific topic project, this should be offered as an optional filter.
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Solution #3: Add a "Not Yet Voted" tab to Brainstorm
Written by HaydenMicallef the 6 May 12 at 01:36.
Simply Add a Scroll Down Option or Tab to Brainstorm that lists all ideas/solutions (newest first) that you haven't yet voted on.

See the 4 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 8 May 12 at 09:23) >>

Corrections and new ideas get lost to the Brainstorm participants  
Written by PaddyLandau the 7 Dec 10 at 09:10. Category: Idea structure. New
I have voted on many Brainstorms and commented on several.

At times, I have chanced upon one of these, to discover new or corrected solutions and comments.

As I had not known of these changes, I had not voted on the new proposals, or read the new or corrected comments. I imagine a large number Brainstorms have had changes that I would like to see but do not know about.
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Solution #1: Subscribe to a Brainstorm manually and (as an option) automatically when voting
Written by PaddyLandau the 7 Dec 10 at 09:10.
Provide a button (as in a forum) for you to subscribe to a Brainstorm.

Further, create an opt-in setting to automatically subscribe to a Brainstorm when you vote on it.

Send an email to you each time a subscribed Brainstorm receives a new or corrected solution or comment.

Of course, also provide a link to list of all your subscribed Brainstorms, and a button to "unsubscribe" from any Brainstorm.
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Solution #2: #1 as an RSS feed
Written by Darwin Survivor the 7 Dec 10 at 10:49.
I track all ideas I have either voted on or commented on and currently the only way to track them, without manually checking one individually through the Dashboard, is to subscribe to each one via its RSS feed.

There are quite a few problems with this:
1) New solutions are not presented as RSS items (The only change is that the feed description changes, which isn't noticed)
2) Since I spent quite a bit of time on brainstorm, just keeping the last 3 months worth of ideas I have voted/commented on usually means about 100 entries in my feed reader (yes, I counted).
3) There is no notification that an idea/solution has been locked, submitted for implementation, deleted, etc.

Having a single feed you could subscribe to that would bring up anything that happened (aside from individual votes) on all feeds you have subscribed to would be AMAZING.
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Solution #3: Subscribe to personal ideas
Written by Thonixx the 7 Feb 11 at 10:03.
There should be an option to inform about new comments or new solutions to your idea by email or private message if anyone adds a comment or writes a new solution.

See the 4 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 5 Aug 11 at 08:53) >>

Add the option to use a fixed width font in Ubuntu brainstorm  
Written by alwuzomondo the 21 Nov 10 at 21:08. Category: Others. New
When posting an idea or solution on Ubuntu brainstorm the boxes you use to type your solution use a fixed font. When you submit, the result is shown in variable width font. This can be annoying when you want to use some text art to clarify your idea for example:

------------------+-------
===========
------------------+-------

(this is a sound measurement bar)
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Solution #1: Have an option to use a fixed width font when posting ideas or solutions
Written by alwuzomondo the 21 Nov 10 at 21:08.
Provide a button with the editing text box to select a fixed-width font.
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Solution #2: Have a complete text make up button bar.
Written by alwuzomondo the 21 Nov 10 at 21:14.
Provide a bar with buttons to do many simple text formating tasks, similar to formating bars as used in many webmail applications like gmail.

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Solution #3: Preview Button
Written by Darwin Survivor the 24 Nov 10 at 10:54.
I've had brainstorm destroy my links, ascii layouts, etc many times. A simple "preview" button would save a lot of headaches, especially for the rational (which cannot be edited after submitting).
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Solution #4: Have a "what you see is what you get" editing window
Written by alwuzomondo the 26 Nov 10 at 08:47.
A Preview window would already be an improvement, but i think even better is an editing window that shows immediately what you are making.

See the 2 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 9 Dec 10 at 10:53) >>

The current result of votes, being visible, influences the users actual vote.  
Written by Cube the 17 Oct 10 at 18:23. Category: Idea structure. New
Seeing the result of people who have already voted does influence the way you vote *a lot*, consciously and subconsciously. Furthermore, many users who see that the idea they wanted to vote for is -100, will refrain from voting for it.
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Solution #1: Hide current vote result until vote is given to get uninfluenced votes.
Written by Cube the 17 Oct 10 at 18:23.
On almost every other website, where votes or polls are used, the current result is only shown AFTER the user has passed his own uninfluenced vote.
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Solution #2: Show total number of votes, but no details until voted on
Written by Aielyn the 23 Oct 10 at 16:08.
So basically, right now, Solution #1 says 44 votes, in the form of 52 promotions, 6 don't care, and 8 demotions.

Make it so that, until the user votes, all it does is say "66 votes in total", and doesn't actually show the visual breakdown colour bar.

(EDIT: Just to make it clearer, it's not showing the positive minus negative votes value (52-8), it's showing the total number of people who have voted at all (52+6+8))
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Solution #3: Only vote from the idea page.
Written by James Haigh the 25 Oct 10 at 12:29.
I think a skewed vote is more likely to happen if a voter votes on something they don't really understand. The voter will likely base the decision on existing votes.

It is /very/ easy to vote on anything in 'Popular ideas' for example, even if not understood.

I propose that votes can only be made or changed from the idea page, where comments can be seen.

(The idea page for this idea is:
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/26158/
If you can see comments then you are already on it.)

This will discourage voters who aren't that interested in the topic from voting, and will encourage voters to read comments.

Let face it, if a voter can't be bothered to click on the idea page and perhaps read a few comments,
then are they really putting enough thought into the vote?

(This solution is not mutually exclusive.)
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Solution #4: Implement a two-rounds vote
Written by ganassa the 26 Oct 10 at 12:59.
I propose to make 2 rounds: the first one is exactly the same as the current one, you can vote any solution and see results in realtime. After a determined period of time, the poll will include only the two most voted ideas. In this way you can vote any idea disregarding the popularity at that moment, so you won't be influenced, but you can fallback to a most-popular solution when the final round has become.
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Solution #5: Let the users choose how the results are displayed to them
Written by Daklok the 26 Oct 10 at 20:03.
Give an option for users to decide whether they want to show or hide the current results of a solution they haven't voted on yet.
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Solution #6: Show the current results...
Written by antiGatesGuy the 17 Nov 10 at 21:12.
...to help people decide what they should do.

See the 12 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 17 Nov 10 at 21:13) >>

Reporting ideas/solutions are not confirmed  
Written by Oxwivi the 8 Nov 10 at 09:22. Category: Website navigation. New
When a post is reported, Brainstorm promptly says that it has been reported. However, sometimes a user may have clicked it mistakenly or selected the wrong one, but there is no way to cancel the report or withdraw it.
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Solution #1: Dialog box to confirm reporting
Written by Oxwivi the 8 Nov 10 at 09:22.
A dialog box should prompt the user to confirm a post to be reported to the moderator.
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Solution #2: Undo box
Written by Darwin Survivor the 13 Nov 10 at 01:39.
Adding a "un-mark" button after clicking report is a simple way to reduce the erroneous reports without inconveniencing users or contributing the "click till it happens" mentality.

See the 4 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 13 Nov 10 at 15:08) >>

Brainstorm ideas are often improperly submitted  
Written by dsterry the 23 Oct 10 at 18:37. Category: Idea structure. New
The first question is "Idea rationale: Why are you proposing this idea?" and many people are proposing the idea because they have a solution in mind. So they enter their preferred solution and often do not try to generalize the problem they are trying to address. Then the solution just reiterates what they said in the first box. When a solution is proposed in the problem statement, it makes other solutions less likely to be proposed and discussed.
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Solution #1: Change question to 'What problem should this idea solve?'
Written by dsterry the 23 Oct 10 at 18:37.
Change the first section to say "Idea rationale: What problem should this idea solve?" The other text above the larger input box can change from "Description describe what is the problem, why makes you submit this idea" (which has an error) to "Description describe the problem here, not the solution"

See the 3 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 24 Oct 10 at 08:07) >>

Older proposed solutions are displayed more prominently in Brainstorm  
Written by replicator-snail the 7 Oct 10 at 01:15. Category: Idea structure. New
If you view a Brainstorm idea with multiple proposed solutions, solutions are shown chronological order. This puts the newest solutions at the bottom, where they are less likely to be seen; older solutions that many people have already looked at are on top.
So newer solutions tend to stay at the bottom perpetually, unseen by passers-by.
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Solution #1: Randomize order of proposed solutions in Brainstorm
Written by replicator-snail the 7 Oct 10 at 01:15.
Display the solutions in random order.
This way is fairer, since solutions will be equally prominently displayed on average, so each will get a similar amount of peer evaluation.
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Solution #2: Display solutions in reverse chronological order
Written by replicator-snail the 7 Oct 10 at 01:16.
Newer solutions (which need to be evaluated) will be at the top.
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Solution #3: Display solutions in reverse order of negative votes
Written by DaedalusPrime the 8 Oct 10 at 04:06.
New solutions will start out at the top, but really bad ones will move quickly to the bottom.
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Solution #4: Same as Solution #2, but add links at the start to quickly jump
Written by Aielyn the 19 Oct 10 at 07:11.
As Solution #2 says, show solutions in reverse chronological order. But to make it easier, especially in cases with larger numbers of solutions, have a display at the top of the solution section with just the solution number and solution title, and clicking it jumps you down to the respective solution. The solution links would be in chronological order. Perhaps also provide a mechanism for including links to solutions within other solutions or within comments.

For the sake of saving some space if desired, add an option on a user's account allowing them to "hide" the solution links. They would be shown by default.
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Solution #5: Solution #2, but only as default, let user choose preference
Written by Aielyn the 21 Oct 10 at 17:24.
So unregistered visitors and those who haven't set their preference would see solutions in reverse chronological order, while registered users would be able to choose their preferred ordering, from the following:

- Reverse Chronological Order (default)
- Chronological Order
- Reverse Total Vote Count (positive, negative, and neutral combined)
- Total Vote Count
- Order by net vote (positive minus negative)
- Order by net vote, reversed (negatives on top)
- Randomised Order
- Positive Vote Count Order (most positive votes on top)
- Reverse Negative Vote Count Order (most negative votes on bottom)

Perhaps also provide a selector somewhere on the page to change the setting for the current session.
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Solution #6: Add option to move voted to bottom.
Written by James Haigh the 25 Oct 10 at 14:19.
As PaddyLandau has pointed out in the comments, solutions have a flow. Anything that breaks that flow should be optional.
Chronological order should remain default.

That said, there should be an /option/ to move voted solutions to the bottom of the idea, revealing the remaining unvoted at the top.
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Solution #7: Add option to display solutions in reverse chronological order.
Written by James Haigh the 25 Oct 10 at 19:00.
Same as Solution #2 but not as default.
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Solution #8: Add an 'Ideas with new solutions' section to the dashboard.
Written by James Haigh the 25 Oct 10 at 21:35.
Add a section to 'My dashboard' that contains ideas that you have voted for that have new solutions since you last visited the idea's page.

This may help newer solutions to get some of the exposure that the older solutions got.

See the 2 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 16 Oct 10 at 06:00) >>

Popularize ubuntu brainstorm  
Written by fracting the 15 Feb 09 at 11:57. Category: Others. New
Many people use Ubuntu but most of them know few about Ubuntu brainstorm
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Solution #1: Popularize ubuntu brainstorm
Written by fracting the 15 Feb 09 at 11:57.
Since many people use Ubuntu but most of them know few about Ubuntu brainstorm,it's helpful if one can read introduction about Ubuntu brainstorm when he get a new vertion of software or use a new feature of software,which is built by the Ubuntu brainstorm.
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Solution #2: Add links to Ubuntu Brainstorm in Ubuntu Software Center
Written by fracting the 25 Apr 10 at 21:20.
We can implement this idea with Ubuntu Software Center.Just
add a link to a referenced Ubuntu Brainstorm Idea (if there exist) into the discription of every software .

From Ubuntu
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Solution #3: Notify-OSD Broadcast
Written by fracting the 28 Apr 10 at 09:10.
From Ubuntu

From Ubuntu

From Ubuntu

Set options to turn on/off these broadcasts .
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Solution #4: Ubuntu Brainstorm Twitter Bot
Written by fracting the 28 Apr 10 at 09:30.
Forwarding new ideas, popular ideas, latest idea in development and latest idea implemented automatically .
Those really nice ideas will be RTed ,then more and more people will know about Ubuntu.

Add a hashtab #UbuntuBrainstorm in every tweets.
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Solution #5: Create an application integrated to ubuntu that allow to vote and see ideas
Written by nandayo the 6 Mar 09 at 15:45.
I don't know if this solution will be "popular", but I think it would be really usefull to get more feedback that Ubuntu provides an application that allow to connect to this site, display ideas, allow users to vote etc.

That would be interesting for two reasons : first it would make the brainstorm greatly more popular and known from ubuntu users and bring back lot of feddbacks ; second, it would be really usefull for brainstormers to follow new ideas and vote for it directly from ubuntu.
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Solution #6: Make brainstorm visible on ubuntu homepages
Written by nandayo the 6 Mar 09 at 15:46.
just a link to brainstorm on ubuntu webpages (in *every* language websites ! For exemple in the french website ubuntu-fr.org, there is not such a link) could help to bring back more feedbacks.
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Solution #7: Add little brainstorm BUTTON next to the MINimize, MAXimize, CLOSE buttons
Written by ulzysaihan the 7 Mar 09 at 07:56.
which is a link to page which has sections of add new idea and featured solutions list. Maybe it should be capable to store ideas offline and send them when computer connects to the Internet.

After that all ubuntu users will think about improving ubuntu and they can do it anytime, anywhere.

Ideas are like birds, we should take them as quickly as possible.
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Solution #8: Be more invoved in the brainstorm
Written by Id2ndR the 7 Mar 09 at 10:48.
I don't agree that there is few brainstormers. If you look for the ratio of implemented ideas/proposed ideas you'll see that it's very very low.

However I think that one someone voted for an idea, it won't come back later to see if there is other solution, how it evolve etc. I think that *this point* should be improved by for example :
- receive an email when a new solution is proposed
- attach ideas to some package if possible and link it to launchpad (bugs and blueprints). Actually there already is an option to make this link but I think it could be improved.
- allow to make threads in comment like a forum to discuss with others of a idea or a solution
- add a way to change description or solution if it could be easier to understand or more precise.
- etc (may be discuss in with comments)
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Solution #9: Brainstorm as a firefox favorite
Written by jackmcslay the 21 Mar 09 at 01:13.
Put a link to brainstorm on Firefox's favorites by default. I bet this will make a lot of people visit this place for curiosity
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Solution #10: Add a "Vote of the day" to the Ubuntu homepage
Written by frederic.mueller the 24 Mar 09 at 15:16.
This would promote brainstorm and would even give unpopular votes an equal chance.
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Solution #11: Add a 'Random Brainstorm Idea' box to the default Ubuntu browser start page
Written by chappell101 the 28 Mar 09 at 01:08.
Similar to solution #6 but add a non-distracting little series of boxes to the bottom of default Ubuntu browser homepage, So users might notice before they jump into a Google search and If the user doesn't like they can just change their homepage. The content of these boxes could be say:
Random Ubuntu Brainstorm Idea with a quick vote method,
Ubuntu Tip Of the day,
Ubuntu News Feed.

This would make the distribution inform and involve its community of users much more in the direction Ubuntu's next release is heading.
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Solution #12: Implement some brainstorms to promote more brainstorm involvement
Written by stochastic the 28 Mar 09 at 09:14.
Without any implementation, people have no real reason to stick around this site and vote/read/suggest ideas. A community of developers needs to be formed or cultivated to work toward implementation. Once people see ideas from here coming to fruition, they'll be more likely to use this tool as an easy way to suggest improvements.
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Solution #13: Model Brainstorm similar to Launchpad (incorporates solution #4)
Written by stochastic the 28 Mar 09 at 09:33.
The sort function in Brainstorm only includes a handful of the Ubuntu derivatives, and the larger of the applications (hardly any backend stuff). With greater specification (i.e. better sortability) and a way to track brainstorms (a subscribe button), this site will become less of a wash of general ideas, and more of a multi-horned bull.

The closer the site becomes to Launchpad in design (structurally), the easier it will be to turn a Brainstorm into a Launchpad blueprint, into a bzr code branch. Thus helping to implement solution #8.

As it sits, it's difficult for a brilliant idea that affects only a fraction of users to gain any traction on this site.
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Solution #14: FireFox extension preinstalled
Written by furat the 29 Mar 09 at 01:20.
Create a firerfox extension and pre-install it with it to show the popular idea , enable people to vote directly from the browser and post solutions and notify them when their idea or solution or one they vote for had implemented .
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Solution #15: Latest solution while you wait!
Written by chappell101 the 29 Mar 09 at 11:26.
This idea would solve the issue of new solutions getting buried with old ideas, due to the latest page only showcasing only new ideas not solutions leaving many voices unheard.

Get Ubuntu to do a survey a see when people are sat at their screen waiting for tasks to idly pass, Such as when a DVD/CD is burning/encoded and offer the user the chance to help mould the next distribution update by voting on the latest idea to get a new solution!

The idea could take from solution #1 in that it is integrated into the OS so the browser doesn't need to be opened and the window could be semi transparent so you can still see your tasks progress bar behind!
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Solution #16: Add "Suggest an idea" to Help menu
Written by amrhassan the 1 Apr 09 at 00:55.
Like launchpad's integration with Help > Report a Problem, add a "Suggest an idea" that would open the idea submission page with the app name added as a tag.
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Solution #17: People should blog about their Brainstorm issues and link to the page
Written by stochastic the 1 Apr 09 at 07:32.
The more talk there is on the interweb, especially technology/linux-related blogs, the more ideas/opinions will flow in.
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Solution #18: "Improve This Application" menu item in applications
Written by sanketmedhi the 4 Apr 09 at 07:05.
Add a menu item called "Improve(or Brainstorm) This Application" in the Help menu of individual applications, linking to the Brainstorm page for that application.

Also, add functionality to rate applications on Brainstorm. Users should be allowed to rate the apps they love/hate and also contribute feedback + ideas on how the apps can be improved.

This will not only promote Brainstorm to users but also to developers who will check their application's Brainstorm page for feedback and new ideas.
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Solution #19: Enhance it now!
Written by humaneasy the 15 Jun 09 at 17:45.
Since this is a Drupal-based module why not benefit from Drupal Modules to enhance it.

Invite: http://drupalmodules.com/node/647
Notifications: http://drupalmodules.com/node/915
User Points: http://drupalmodules.com/node/1522
Add-To-Any: http://drupalmodules.com/module/add-to-any-sharesavebookmark-button
Share This: http://drupalmodules.com/module/sharethis
Drupal for Facebook: http://drupalmodules.com/module/drupal-for-facebook

Those are all modules that would help promoting this site.
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Solution #20: Add RSS feed to Firefox
Written by Kris the 12 Aug 09 at 15:09.
Use the RSS functionality in firefox bookmarks toolbar to automatically feed the latest additions to firefox when the ubuntu specific add-on is installed
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Solution #21: #7 give user a chance to choose
Written by vfonic the 11 May 10 at 11:12.
Ask user does he want to have small "ubuntu brainstorm" icon next to default three (minimize, maximize, close) in title bar of every window.

See the 1 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 28 Apr 10 at 10:12) >>