Particls UI Headaches

I am trying the Particls plugin for Firefox, but I can’t understand it. I get the stream concept, but I have really problems with the UI.

Particls, originally uploaded by Stowe Boyd.

In the screenshot above, you can see a stream of elements, including a ‘Say’ that I posted to Twitter through the client. But I can’t seem to figure the UI out.

My natural tendency is to click on the right pointing carat next to the ‘Say’, thinking that it would open something in place: perhaps a text area where I could type a Twitter message, and hit a submit button. But when I click the carat, it posts ‘Say’ to Twitter. So I don’t know where it is I am supposed to enter the text.

I have similar issues with entering RSS feeds. There doesn’t seem to be a place to enter them. Turns out you have to click on the RSS icon — which is not an RSS of the stream, which is what the UI suggests to me — but actually is a navigational control that opens the Particls website for my RSS feeds in the browser. Uh, not very intuitive.

I can enter new RSS feeds in the obvious way — although I had some snags with that — but there is no comforting feedback in the stream, like ‘/Message RSS feed added’ or something. Adding new feeds and then hitting the refresh icon does not lead to a bunch of new stream elements, either. Odd.

The icons along the top are bewildering:

• The pawn icon logs me out. Is that a good idea? Isn’t the log out at the bottom enough? Or maybe the logout at the bottom is unneeded. I favor the now customary ‘log in’ ‘logout’ at the upper right hand, or buried in a preferences area.
• The magnifying glass doesn’t lead to search or zooming in, it toggles the ‘search’ and ‘say’ areas below it. Ugh.
• The wrench does open preferences, but right now the only option is setting up the Twitter account. Should include the basic login info, I think.
• The info icon doesn’t offer context help, it is linked to a Get Satisfaction page associated with Particls.

Help. This needs a redesign.