Re: Writing a GNOME mail client.

[Steve Luzynski <sluzynsk sound net>]

On Sun, 18 Apr 1999 12:22:03 you wrote:
> Exchange has the ability to export to both imap and pop. Lets not
> implament mapi suport and just use open standards like imap and pop...
> exchange will be useable if it is configured to be open and standard

How about implementing all mail retrieval protocols as pluggable
modules? Then if someone really wants MAPI support they can code it up
and drop it in.

Would make for a wonderfully extensable client, actually.

> 
> On Sun, 18 Apr 1999, Ronald de Man wrote:
> 
> > On Sun, Apr 18, 1999 at 02:15:43PM +0200, Erik Bagfors wrote:
> > > > On Sat, Apr 17, 1999 at 09:31:28AM -0700, bob@kehs.ksd.org wrote:
> > > > > no, an exchange server would be a bad idea... a calander or a address book
> > > > > server (maby even a bookmark server) would be a good thing but reinventing
> > > > > the wheel is a bad thing... imap/pop works just fine so there is no reason
> > > > > to make the grave mistake microsoft made when they made exchange...
> > > > 
> > > > Maybe so, but why not also support an existing standard, if at all possible.
> > > > Lots of large organisations and companies happen to use Exchange Server,
> > > > and I'm afraid it will take a few more Melissa's before they switch.
> > > > 
> > > 
> > > With "existing standard" I hope you mean imap/pop and the like.  If you mean Excange Server you are not talking about standards.  Just because ms wrote it doesn't make it a standard.  They usualy brake standards.
> > 
> > Ok, I guess all uses of the word 'standard' here should be replaced by
> > 'protocol'. Unless IMAP/POP have been officially standardized (I have
> > no idea about that). IMAP/POP are open, Exchange Server is not.
> > 
> > I'm all for open protocols, but fact is that thousands of potential
> > Gnome users are stuck with Exchange Server at work.
> > 
> > If possible (and if fetchmail can talk to Exchange Server, it is possible),
> > we should enable Microsoft and Intel employees to switch to Gnome and still
> > be able to read mail. What is the problem with that?
> > 
> > Ronald