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|Feature open issues and risks=Some points that are still completely open to discussion but need a decision before before or as part of the "Design" stage here:
* Should Thunderbird replace the user's current IM client, or attempt to integrate tightly with it?
* Should IMs go above the current content (the emails the user is reading or the email he is composing) or be contained in some specific area (tab? folder? other window?) where the users would go to exchange IMs.
** Gmail shows IMs above emails.
** Showing IMs above may be interrupting/distracting.
** IMs may go unnoticed if they aren't visible enough, and lose the benefit of "instantness" that IM has compared to email.
|Feature overview=The goal is to give additional value to Thunderbird for the users who currently use Thunderbird for emails and other software for different kinds of communications with the same people.
|Feature users and use cases=Targeted users are people who use Thunderbird for their emails and use some other IM software to IM the same set of contacts.
* When a user is about to start an IM conversation with a contact, showing the subjects of unread emails from that person could avoid wasting time for both people (maybe the desired information is right there in the bulk of unread emails? Maybe the latest email explains why the person wouldn't be able to give a useful answer anyway? ...)
* When trying to get back to some piece of information obtained in the past from someone, searching in both email and IM archives removes for the user the burden of remembering which communication medium was used.
|Feature requirements=- * Manage a single list of contacts for both email and IM.- * Search both Email and IM archives at once. |Feature non-goals=- * Turn Thunderbird into an IM client. The goal is not to attract people who don't use Thunderbird for their emails.
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In this context, IM may extend to social network communications, or even telephony; anything providing a more "instant" communication than email.
