=- Derek Martin wrote on Sun 5.Aug'12 at 11:04:03 -0500 -= > > > If you have to configure sendmail to talk SMTP on the MSP > > > port, enable STARTTLS, pop-before-smtp, etc. you need to learn > > > a lot about sendmail. No one should need to do that just to be > > > able to send an e-mail. > > > > Why not? > > For the same reason one should not need to become a doctor to use > a human body.
Wow... didn't think of it as "natural" thing you have when born. > It's superfluous, for the overwhelming majority of users. If they were more "aware" they'd not be easy prey for phishing and the like or minor technical issues. > but for the day-to-day use of your body (or e-mail client), it's > completely and utterly superfluous. It helps to know "heat is bad" not to hurt yourself by fire, interaction with others our there, etc. Basics _not_ given when born. > And if things never go wrong, you'll never need that info. Mistake. Sometimes things go wrong unnoticed because people "don't know" to pay attentiond and then you get excuses like "I didn't know": you could (and should). > Now, YOU may happen to find it interesting, and if you do, by all > means go off and learn about it. But by all means, leave the rest > of us alone. ;-) Heh, the rest of "you" is certainly welcome at Outlook. ;) > knowing the basics of how STMP works is really irrelevant to the > average user, and is not really helpful in any way to make them > better at reading and writing e-mail -- which, let's be clear, is > what their goal is. SMTP is indeed irrelevant, but that sending mail consists of several components is helpful, so you can better fix things when they go wrong. > That is why people use Mutt... NOT so that they can learn about > obscure networking protocols. All they need to know is how to > configure their e-mail client to talk to their ISP's mail gateway. Either they learn then to understand the mechanics and requirements for an MTA, or they can resort to other MUAs. Neither is very hard. > If you think that Mutt has no users that want all the power of Mutt > for sending and reading e-mail, but don't want to learn about > computers or networking generally, you're mistaken. Power requires control, understanding, you can't get it without learning it. >From the initial conception to the final exit from the own system. > Obviously it's not the norm, but as someone who's been on this > list for a very long time, I can tell you that we have > occasionally seen posts from such people. So? Why should they be given such power "for free" (of learning)? They already don't have to pay money for it. ;) > > > I wouldn't care one bit about how it all works. > > > > And that's wrong... > > You're making a judgement about what should be important to all Mutt > users. Who are you to judge? Life presents its own priorities... Well... everybody should for himself. But if I had judged as you rationalized, I wouldn't have ended up with mutt but stayed with Outlook, WebMail oder TB. > > did it hurt you to know something more than how to push > > "send"-button? > > YES. It took away time that I could be using to do something more > interesting or important. Then you would have done so, it was your choice not to use alternatives but stick witht mutt, like I did. :) > > (if I only had the time... and nothing else more urgent to do) > > Yeah exactly! You DO get why requiring a user to learn about SMTP > is bad, after all. If mutt didn't sufficiently cover my needs, then I'd find the time and do something about it myself, not wait for others to do it for me. -- © Rado S. -- You must provide YOUR effort for your goal! EVERY effort counts: at least to show your attitude. You're responsible for ALL you do: you get what you give.
