[Users] [Bulk] Re: Claws config needs much better documentation

[Michael Gmelin]

On Mon, 30 Jul 2012 14:40:21 +0530
Sitaram Chamarty <sitaramc at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 2:34 PM, Michael Gmelin <freebsd at grem.de>
> wrote:
> > On Mon, 30 Jul 2012 06:02:56 +0530
> > Sitaram Chamarty <sitaramc at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 12:47 AM, Kevin Chadwick
> >> <ma1l1ists at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> >> >> > The default for "Open message when selected" (in
> >> >> > Display/Summaries) is unsafe.
> >> >> >
> >> >
> >> > I always figured this was a nice feature that claws  with certain
> >> > plugins enabled and even more so other clients should follow in
> >> > order to allow deletion without virus execution or image handler
> >> > exploitation etc..
> >> >
> >> > A bit like download headers and delete spam with viruses before
> >> > download when using pop3.
> >>
> >> That would be fine if it matched with what people *expect* from
> >> other email clients.  IME no other mail clients do this, so it is a
> >> surprise.  And not a good surprise either.
> >>
> >> The behaviour you spoke of should be implemented more explicitly.
> >> For example the checkboxes in gmail let you do just that.  In
> >> claws as is, I'd say "hide the message view and then move to a
> >> message to have that safety".
> >
> > In my understanding claws focuses on useful features which are
> > presented in a more or less programmer style way (sometimes you just
> > dig through the rc files to find a configuration settings, the
> > dialogs tend to be crowded and full of advanced options etc.). And
> > you know what? I dig that, because it means it is not hiding
> > anything from me for the sake of usability (Apple), or trying to
> > invent useless features instead of fixing year old bugs (TB). I
> > switched to claws only a few weeks ago and it's already second
> > nature to me - everything is so easy and straightforward and
> > clearly designed by tech people - it's great for someone like me :)
> >
> > It doesn't behave like other MUAs and I don't think it should
> > try to emulate them. There are too many similar working clients
> > out there already, and making features that are special to claws the
> > default actually forces people to explore them (and how to change
> > them if it's not what they want). I wouldn't have found this useful
> > feature, that you criticize as dangerous, otherwise. It's
> > incredibly refreshing to see software with a different approach -
> > open source productivity applications way too often try to copy
> > commercial products instead of providing alternative solutions.
> >
> > I cannot speak for the project owners, but to me the project
> > philosophy is not to create a 100% polished product that's a
> > seamless replacement for the MUA that came with the OS. It's for
> > people that are willing to invest into the configuration of their
> > MUA to get the best possible tool for *their* use case -
> > essentially people that are not satisfied with the usual 90/10
> > approach most user-friendly software takes these days. Wasting
> > development resources to make it more like other programs seems
> > pointless to me.
> >
> > Just my 2 cents...
> 
> You're extrapolating what I said about "principle of least
> astonishment" into something far more.

Indeed :)

-- 
Michael Gmelin