RE: [Evolution] UI choices

[Eric Lambart <ximian nomeaning net>]

On Tue, 2003-02-11 at 11:24, guenther wrote:

> > I missed the beginning of this so I'm sorry if I misunderstand but I'd
> > like to see the line that appears when you hit Reply ("On Tue,
> > 2003-02-11 at...") to be configurable.  (Or is it?)  I'd really like to
> > stick a couple "\n"s on the beginning so I can start with a blank line -
> > as it is I have to hit Reply then Enter-Enter-up arrow before I start
> > typing.
>
> Wow, that leads me to a really nice option. Configuring that first line
> would really kick as (mentioned some times in here).
>
> I personally would love to set it just to "\n\n" without any text.
>
> What about other escape sequences for "go to top" and "go to bottom
> before sig"? Maybe ^ and $...

Bravo Guenther, Now that's the best idea I've heard so far in this
ridiculously animated discussion!

Of course it would be splendid to have the reply tag-line configurable,
as Brady and many other people have requested in the past.  At least 95%
of users will probably never customize the tag-line, fewer still will
care about where the hell the cursor goes in a reply, and for those few
people (or sysadmins setting a company-wide policy), having to use
something as esoteric as a documented "$" flag is hardly as absurd as
having to manually edit a configuration file.  I might choose a
different character for "move cursor to end, before signature", since $
means EOL to me, not EOF.  I don't see a need for "^" or the equivalent,
since defaulting the cursor position to the top makes the most sense to
ME.

As an aside: I am normally a "top poster", but I am not top-posting
because I am replying to a specific sentence in the quoted message, and
I am including more quoted text than that one sentence, because it
remains short but aids in the readability of this message.  

Though I have been reading and sending/posting electronic messages for
nearly 20 years (ooo, everybody, that's so impressive!), and think
etiquette (not just netiquette) is very important, I don't necessarily
agree with everyone's definition of what that is (nor do I hold my own
definition to be infrangible).

I for one welcome the gradual transition to top-posting that I have
observed, at least partly because I find it unlikely that everyone is
going to become polite and stop including excessive quoted text in a
reply, and it is very annoying to have to page down through screensful
of quoted text just to find someone's reply.  Impolite though the poster
may be, s/he might actually have an interesting thought.  I'd like to
judge that at a moment's glance, without having to waste time seeking it
at the end of a message.

Though I dearly would like to see "quote selected text" (call it a
"kmail" feature if you like; I know it from Eudora) implemented, that
won't fix the problem either; you can't make rude people polite by
adding features!

And though I may not like habitual bottom posting, I am not nearly
enough of a "l33t geek" to "lart" folks who do it.

That's about all I have to say on the topic.  If you read this far,
thanks for your time.
-Eric
-- 
I have nothing against the American people... 
...but it is time for a regime change