[Mailman-Users] Email command upgrade

[Brad Knowles]

At 4:58 PM +0900 2004-10-05, Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:

>                                   The rest of the time, it's trivial to
>  format them as a pulldown or popup menu.

	You mean that you think they're going to understand or remember 
how to use a pulldown or popup menu?  For the class of luser we're 
talking about, I find that very hard to believe.

>                                            Wouldn't _you_ prefer them
>  that way?

	No.  I prefer them to be shown at all times, which is what 
Qualcomm/Eudora does by default, unless you go out of your way to 
change that configuration.

>             The only question is how to properly draw attention to the
>  facility so it doesn't get lost in the Macromedia[tm] Flash[R].

	If it's not shiny-shiny, they can't understand it.  If it's 
anything more than shiny-shiny, they can't understand it.  Let's face 
it -- they can't understand it no matter what.

	They couldn't find their butt with both hands, in a room with 
mirrors on all surfaces, and a set of detailed instructions with 
diagrams.  We're expecting that they'll be able to operate an MUA?

>                                                    But we can and
>  should (IMHO) encourage them to offer the users something which is a
>  _clear_ (even to one looking through stained-glass Windows)
>  improvement over Murky-sloppy software.

	Can and do.

>      Uncle Benji> "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to
>      Uncle Benji> purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither
>      Uncle Benji> Liberty nor Safety."
>
>  True, but remember: deservedly or not, they outvote us 100 to 1.

	It doesn't have to be that way.  If you are a member of the 
zombie majority that lets people steamroller over you because you 
believe this to be true, you can join activist groups like 
moveon.org, and help to make your voice heard.  If you don't agree 
with their political agenda, there are probably other activist 
organizations whose political agendas you find less offensive.

	But it is vitally important that you vote.  Even though we are 
all just individuals, we can be surprisingly loud if we all decide to 
speak up at the same time.

-- 
Brad Knowles, <brad at stop.mail-abuse.org>

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little
temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

     -- Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), reply of the Pennsylvania
     Assembly to the Governor, November 11, 1755

   SAGE member since 1995.  See <http://www.sage.org/> for more info.