=- David Champion wrote on Thu 1.Feb'07 at 10:25:13 -0600 -= > > i.e. the way of aiding is not stored in the data > > itself but left up to the reader (the original www idea). > > A tool can perform its beefing-up well enough on this simple/ > > raw data, too, as mutt and other MUAs show. > > I agree with you, and I prefer that too, and from his post I > think Marc is in our camp.
However, Marc is uncertain about bringing this up with his limited-/ outlook-only-/ awareness collegues. > But most people don't care that much, as long as they can tell > the difference in their way, and most people don't want to > deviate too far from whatever happens by default. That's true ... but is this (default=outlook/ html exclusive) what we mutters want? (Marc being the one in this case) This reasoning prevents freedom of "weapon"-choice/ personal optimization/ general improvement: that's what mutters want. Not all defaults/ features are good just because they came first. Isn't every company/ undertaking interested in improvement to better succeed? Better "interoperability" suits them, too! (Especially when they learn that there's an eMail-world beyond the company limits. ;) As often as people don't care for "a better" way, as often they don't care for _any_ way, as long as it doesn't bother them much. They just need a clue not to worry about a minor easy change (like selecting text/plain '> ' quoting over html in an options box) and some "conviction" to actually make the step. People are more friendly/ helpful than many of us worry they are not. Why keep "suffering" if things can be _easily_ changed when known? When people learn that a _simple_ change helps both sides without permanent losses to anyone, they are likely to apply it. If _we_ mutters don't do anything about it, it won't change by itself, as you noted _they_ won't do on their own. So... what's there to lose? Temporary friction. What is to gain? Lasting improvement for all. What does it take: just to ask them and patience to work against an inert mass. It won't hurt Marc to ask, except he's afraid of asking. > Trying to persuade them otherwise often just makes one seem... well, > too interested in telling others how to work, to put it gently. > Although I'd love for everyone to work my way, telling them that > they should usually doesn't work out very well. The problem is that mere trying/ learning/ asking is considered as negative force that must be denied, as if thinking hurts them, even more so any actual effort no matter how small and despite no permanent drawbacks for them once applied. So it's better not even to try to make things better? You (Marc) want to support this ignorance? It's up to you, you have to live with either consequence (short term no pain or long term gain), neither David nor I. ;) Improvement doesn't come without change, and this always causes friction to some end: no gain without pain. It's just a matter whether you want a) improvement and b) are willing to do what it takes. Often enough it only takes just a little to gain a lot. The sad thing is people are too scared to make even smallest steps and see the big gain that lies behind it. > This argument must be taken up with developers, not users. Uh, huh?! I don't understand what you refer to now. -- © Rado S. -- You must provide YOUR effort for your goal! EVERY effort counts: at least to show your attitude. You're responsible for ALL of it: you get what you give.
