Re: Balsa 2.2.0 end user impressions

[Joacher <joacher gmx de>]

Peter Bloomfield wrote:

> Balsa does need one local mailbox: the outbox is a temporary  holding 
> place for outbound mail, and must be accessible even when  the imap 
> server isn't.

Is it like a temporary cache or how have I to understand this?

> As noted, Balsa wants a local outbox.  But perhaps it should be  
> omitted from the mailbox list except on explicit request--in  
> principle, you should never need to go into it.

In my amateurish understanding a MUA doesn't have to care if a going to 
be sent mail is stored locally or by IMAP.

What am I supposed to do if my sending fails and I am leaving the 
computer, knowing, that I won't return for a couple of days? With balsa 
2.2.0 I would move the mail from outbox to imap->drafts, so I can cover 
this subject later via webmail frontend. Hiding outbox removes this option.
Is there really no way to have outbox serversided?

> Apparently, your server doesn't support sorting--iirc, sorting  and 
> threading are an extension to the basic imap protocol--but  Balsa 
> should alert you to the deficiency.

Looks like there is a general "UTF-8" problem with my IMAP server. I 
assume I have to rewrite whole sections of my review after this issue is 
solved.

> "View -> Find" doesn't seem to work, too. I assume IMAP  
> incompatibilities again.
>
> afaik, it uses only basic IMAP4rev1 search capability, so this is  not 
> an extension issue.

Again: UTF-8, I assume

> Do you  have any suggestions for improving the (find) dialog?

As I mentioned in my first post, a dedicated search line like mozilla 
has is very comfortable. Not just that you don't have to popup a special 
dialog, it intuitivly makes it clear that this is a temporary filter 
applied to the current mailbox. The "Find" options in the "View" menu 
are to search the body of the mail, which makes sense, too IMHO.

> "Save entire message" could  be added to the message menu--but there's 
> always pressure to keep  the menus shorter, too!

"Save entire message" is the only button found in the menu, "Save 
message part" can be handled via context menu.

> Second, the file name should default to <subject>.eml in the  save 
> dialog.
>
> Well, not for images, for example?

Not for attachments or message parts, but for the entire message.

At least, it should default to anything usefull, not just an empty field.

> Another default hot key I am missing is the del key for  deleting 
> messages (currently: D).
>
> Adding del as an alternative key is easy--we'd want to keep `D'  as 
> the published binding.  Again, does anyone know of any Gnome/ HIG issues?

That's strange. I mean, my computer has mostly "general purpose" keys, 
just very few have a dedicated use. The "DEL" key is one of them, there 
is a clear function assigned to it. Please, tell me how I should explain 
to my father, why the DEL key isn't deleting anything, but the key, 
which is meant to write a "D", covers this functionality.
I know, the concept of virtually mapping functionality to gp keys is 
quite common, due to the fact there are no alternatives - there is no 
SAVE key, QUIT-, REPLY-, OPEN-, WHATEVER key attached to a keyboard. But 
there is a DEL key, we should give at least this one the function it 
pretends to have.


> That's context dependent !-)

Of course it is, everything I wrote is!

Regards,

Joe