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

[Sitaram Chamarty]

On Tue, Jul 31, 2012 at 6:03 AM, Michael Gmelin <freebsd at grem.de> wrote:

> In general to me it's still more of a philosophical question - do you
> want to make the software behave like other mail clients do by

If the devs don't want to make this change fine, but it should be for
reasons specific to the feature, not "do you want to make the software
behave like other mail clients do...".

"Everyone else does it this way" may be the wrong reason to make a
change, but it cuts both ways -- it's just as much of a wrong reason
for *not* making a change.

> default (remember, most users don't even change defaults or assume if
> it's default, it's the preferred option to use) - or do you want to
> make it behave like claws and expose users to the different features
> directly, so that they understand: Wow, that actually is something new
> and exciting.

And I'm saying that's perfectly fine for 99% of claws features but
sometimes, just once in a while, you have to say "this will surprise
people in a bad way if they're coming from some other mail client so
let's respect that at least in the default config, while people who
want the other way will know to change it".

> I think a Wiki/FAQ section on how claws differs from other mail
> programs might be beneficial of course and is something normal users
> could provide.

as someone else said, no one reads docs until after they've been bitten.

> Since I'm just a user of claws I think there's nothing more I can
> contribute to the discussion at this point.

I'm thinking the same way, except s/discussion/mailing list/.

Sure there were a couple of sensible folks who debated the *actual
issue*, even if only one agreed with me.

Far too many other responses seem to be saying, in effect, "we're
different [and here's some gratuitous chest beating to convince you],
so deal with it", while totally ignoring the merits and demerits of
the actual issue.  Amusing the first couple of times but gets old
fast.

[Hopefully I'm wrong about this; I'll probably track a few more topics
to see.  Especially topics that I don't have an opinion on, so I can
be more objective].