Re: Debunking Emacs merits over GUI - Re: package for Email

[Bob Newell <bobnewell@bobnewell.net>]

>> I also love some girls, but I can't recommend them to others.
>
> Nice method of technical argument, congratulations!

I actually DID like that argument!  Don't you think that Emacs
is sexy?

>> List of tasks people do with email clients that Emacs-based MUA don't support:
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(long list deleted)

> My conclusion is that you don't have a very good idea of what Emacs
> MUAs can do, because these tasks are all available.  Some are
> available with any Emacs MUA, others with only some of them, but they
> are available.

Yes, every single thing on the list can be done in Emacs,
likely a combination of Gnus and some elisp packages or
coding (although HTML mail?  who wants to do that :) !!!).
And a lot more besides, for example, my favorite thing, in
conjunction with BBDB, when I write to certain mail
recipients, Emacs is set into French, German, or Hawaiian
input mode as appropriate.  Try to do that in Thunderbird!

However the other side of the coin is that doing many of the
things on Jean's list is automatic or easier with Thunderbird
or an equivalent.  A lot of people just aren't going to
conquer Gnus for these tasks nor would I expect or necessarily
encourage it.

As long-time Emacs users we have learned to develop our own
styles and it has become indispensible --- for us.  I noted
earlier that people find their way to Emacs if Emacs is for
them, certainly with help along the way.  Would you recommend
Emacs to a Facebook and Twitter and WhatsUp devotee?  While
it's possible, it's less likely to be a match.

-- 
Bob Newell
Honolulu, Hawai`i

- Via GNU/Linux/Emacs/Gnus/BBDB