Re: [Evolution] Message size threshold for download?

[Patrick O'Callaghan <poc usb ve>]

On Sat, 2010-03-20 at 18:26 -0700, Frank K wrote:
> [...]

> Rather than ask for an enhancement, I represent too small a group of users to be catered to! Men will walk 
> on Mars before I have access to anything but dial-up here. My friends in town with DSL quickly forget what 
> it's like to have a 2MB "plug" in the message stream.
>
> Dial-up is too unreliable to deal with email online, so messages have to be downloaded sequentially. Once I 
> had a technical career, so I remember how the project leader choses the feature list. It's all a matter of 
> tradeoffs!

I agree actually. My DSL line is only 1Mbps and I definitely notice when
some idiot sends a huge PowerPoint attachment that I almost certainly am
not going to read. Judicious use of Ctrl-M (View->Show Message Preview)
can sometimes help, but you need to be on your toes.

> One feature that would merit an enhancement request in my opinion leaves me uncertain regarding who to ask 
> it of. Only Microsoft Outlook allows the use of a word processor (Word) to function as it's email composer. 
> OOwriter is a great word processor that can now send it's documents as email attachments
>
> Will OpenOffice evolve their own email client, or would evolution be interested in developing a word 
> processor interface? Even if such development happened before men walk on Mars, I'll need that size 
> threshold!

Two points here:

1) Given your desire for more bandwidth efficiency, I'd have thought it
somewhat counterproductive to ask for a word processor as composer. If
your message is complex enough for a word processor, use a word
processor and attach the document. If it's not, use plain text and save
everyone a lot of pain.

2) Despite the above, there have been calls for Evo to allow "composer
hooks", so an Emacs fan for example can use Emacs and a Vi fan can use
Vi. There's been some movement on this but I couldn't say if it's likely
to be available soon. Presumably one could specify OOo Writer in such a
future version, and suffer the consequences.

poc