Re: BUG: Tools Meanu -> "Read Mail" is TOO DANGEROUS

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: jari.aalto@poboxes.com (Jari Aalto+mail.emacs)
> Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.bug
> Date: 04 Mar 2001 18:17:01 +0200
>
> | > Usually MUAs leave the mailbox where it is.
> | 
> | My experience is different; see Kai's message for some additional
> | data points that are contrary to yours.
> 
> Well, this is debatable.

It clearly is.

> Still, the implications should be announced to user, not matter which
> MUA it were: RMAIL or Gnus.

What do you expect the user to do with that announcement?

> | You can convert it back, either with unrmail or with b2m.
> 
> "You can undo the effect with X Y Z". Please look at from 
> another, user, perspective. How many know this, where is it, does it 
> come with Emacs, is it documented, has he compile it (what is this
> "compile" he asks next)? 

b2m is compiled by default.

I agree that most of the newbies won't know about these conversion
tools, but they don't need to!  If they start using RMAIL, they will
never need to convert anything unless they decide to switch to another
MUA.  All the email-challenged people who work with me and run to me
with their email-related problems (not necessarily in conjunction with
Emacs) assume as an axiom that when they switch mailers, their
previous mail is gone.  Most of newbies don't save their mail anyway,
so they lose nothing.

> The menu is too dangerous at present form.

I think you greatly exaggerate the danger.