Re: Some feature suggestions

[Jules Bean <jmlb2 hermes cam ac uk>]

Ric Tibbetts wrote:
> 
> I really have to interject a STRONG objection here.
> I've been a big "balsa hopeful" for a long time. Even doing a fair amount of
> prodding when I thought things were coming to a halt.

Hi, Ric.

> 
>         I'm glad to see that someone has picked up the ball and is going to
> re-start this project, but I think that some time needs to spent examining what
> the product is going to be. Reading through the below, all I see it IMAP this,
> and IMAP that, and that since the developer doesn't use POP, well, he'll jsut
> develop IMAP.
>         For those that haven't caught up yet, how I see this translating is:
> Screw POP... I'm going to develop IMAP.... Meaning... balsa will remain as good
> as usless to those of us who rely on multiple POP accounts.

Well.  Um.  I'm sorry.

I'm not planning to *only* work on IMAP support.  I'll do my bit for POP
accounts too.  However, I'm working on this in my free time, and I will
probably work on things as they occur to me, or as they appeal to me.

I'm not, of course, the balsa maintainer (that's Stuart), nor am I even
a member of the GNOME team.  (That last may change, I suppose). I'm
simply a passing programmer hoping to make something worthwhile out of
balsa.

>         POP means "client side filtering", and multiple POP account
> capabilities. Without that, balsa is just more floatsam.

Actually, there's a superb, powerful, multiple POP account filtering
plug-in for balsa.  It's called fetchmail.  In combination with
procmail, it will meet all of your POP-fetching and mail-filtering
needs.  What it won't do is give you personalities for outgoing mail - a
feature that is definitely on my personal list for balsa anyway.

>         Maybe I'm just being grouchy, but I've watched a potentially great
> product wither away from neglect, only to be revived by "I only have IMAP"...
>         I have to say it: If you're going to develop the product, then develop
> the "whole" product. don't leave a major portion of the user base out in the
> cold.

If there's something particular you want written, you can always pay a
programmer to write it for you.  Or you can buy an off-the-shelf program
- Eudora is apparently very good.  I haven't used it for 3 years. Or you
can write it yourself.

I'm in this for my own satisfaction.  If you have feature requests, then
I'll happily do my bit to implement them.  However, 'user base' and
'marketshare' are not really of great concern to me.


> 
>         Sigh.. will us POP users EVER have a decent E-Mail package, or are well
> all destined to live with Netscape & Pine?
> 
>         Flame away if you're going too. I'm to tired of this to care.

That's a shame.  I'm genuinely sorry you feel that way.

I hope this doesn't come across as a flame,

Regards,

Jules Bean

-- 
/----------------+-------------------------------+---------------------\
|  Jelibean aka  | jules@jellybean.co.uk         |  6 Evelyn Rd        |
|  Jules aka     |                               |  Richmond, Surrey   |
|  Julian Bean   | jmlb2@hermes.cam.ac.uk        |  TW9 2TF *UK*       |
+----------------+-------------------------------+---------------------+
|  War doesn't demonstrate who's right... just who's left.             |
|  When privacy is outlawed... only the outlaws have privacy.          |
\----------------------------------------------------------------------/