bug#3594: Please make it easy to make ERC beep on /msg; better yet, make it happen by default

[Jason A. Spiro]

Package: emacs
Version: 22.2.1
Severity: wishlist

== Feature request ==

Please modify ERC so that I can easily make ERC beep when I get
private messages.  Also, if possible, please enable this beeping by
default.

== Implementation idea ==

I'm not an ERC expert but ISTM that a way to implement this would be
to follow these steps:

*  Create a customize-configurable option for me to specify that I
want ERC to notify me when I get a new /msg.
*  Create a function that will beep if that option is enabled.
*  Add that function to the erc-server-PRIVMSG-functions hook by default.

== Rationale ==

I want this because I use ERC to connect to the Bitlbee instant
messaging gateway and to Freenode.  I always want to know when I get a
private /msg in ERC, and I suspect that most ERC users would like the
same.  (I have not studied it, though; if you would like me to poll
the help-gnu-emacs list, then I will.)

XChat, a popular IRC client, has an easy-to-use checkbox in its
preferences window to allow beeping on receiving /msg's, although the
checkbox is unchecked by default.

Note:  I am running GNU Emacs 22.2.1 (i486-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit,
Xaw3d scroll bars) of 2008-11-09 on raven, modified by Debian.

-- 
Jason Spiro: software/web developer, packager, trainer, IT consultant.
I support Linux, UNIX, Windows, and more. Contact me to discuss your needs.
+1 (416) 992-3445 / www.jspiro.com