Re: Changing the default for `send-mail-function'

[Tim Cross]

On Sun, Jul 10, 2011 at 10:27 PM, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
<address@hidden> wrote:
> Tim Cross <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> I thought it was going to be configured on Windows systems to
>> use the user's default mail client. This was the previous default for
>> win32 wasn't it?
>
> The problem of silently failing is much less of an issue on Windows,
> since if you haven't configured your email client there, Windows will
> guide you through that.
>
> On the other hand, I think the user experience of sending mail using
> `mailclient-send-it' is pretty awful.  It pops up a different mail
> client, and then you have to click buttons in that to actually send the
> email.
>
> So while changing the default on Windows isn't that vital, I think it's
> better (overall) for people to use the built-in SMTP on Windows, too.
>

Your argument appears to be from a standpoint of someone who uses
emacs as their mail client. I don't know if they are the ones we
should worry about as much as the occasional user who is more likely
to be affected by the default setting. Someone who wants to use emacs
as their client will probably customize the setup anyway. Functions
etc that make this easier, such as the one you have written are great
for this. However, it is that group who don't use emacs as their mail
client, who may not be that familiar with mail client configuration
and who really don't want to configure emacs for mail that the default
is really relevant for. These users just want mail to work for those
rare instances where emacs initiates an email message, such as bug
reports.

 Anyone on a win32 platform who does not use emacs for mail (and
therefore, is probably uninterested in configuring emacs for mail)
will have either the default mail client configured or will have
installed their preferred mail client and have that configured. These
users are more likely to find the behavior of emacs using the client
they are use to much more convenient for occasional mail messages
initiated from emacs than an emacs based client they are unfamiliar
with.

those who use emacs for their mail will have the incentive and
expectation to configure emacs and therefore less likely to be
affected by the change in default. They will benefit from the helper
function you have written or by any customize interface which helps
them customize their mail setup. These users are motivated to make it
wor.

Tim