Desktop/mobile client brainstorm post

[denise]

Many of our Google Summer of Code applicants have mentioned that they'd like to work on desktop or mobile clients. Since the application phase begins today, I thought I'd post an entry for people to mention what features and functions they consider essential in a desktop or mobile client. This will let our GSOC applicants see the thoughts of people who use the site regularly, so they can work those thoughts into their specs as they build their application.

So, this is a post for people to comment with:

* What features/functions do you consider essential in a desktop/mobile client?
* What features or things would you not want a desktop/mobile client to do?
* What are things you've loved and hated in clients you've used previously?

It's okay to answer separately for both desktop and mobile clients, since the two are only very loosely related. The more feedback you can give, the more it will help our GSOC student applicants as they design their application.

Comments

[runpunkrun]

Yay! I've been hoping Dreamwidth would develop its own desktop client. I've been using Semagic for years now and I'm currently sticking with version 1.7.0.9U and really happy with it, though I imagine Dreamwidth will eventually come up with awesome things that Semagic won't support.

Things I like in a desktop client:

*Ability to save drafts with actual file names, not just as "draft"
*html mode that shows raw code
*formatting buttons that make quick work of HTML markup and site-specific code
*user-defined macros
*spellcheck
*having menus with all my icons, tags, moods, etc.
*quick link button that turns URL on clipboard into HTML-formatted link
*ability to view and modify filters
*ability to post to communities
*ability to crosspost to LJ

I like a lot of control over the applications I use (customization is key!), and I prefer them to have a small footprint. Basically for this I want a simple program that lets me compose posts, save them, post them, Oh! and edit them after I've posted.