Subject: Re: Configuration Problem? (fwd)

From: Ed Greshko <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 1996 20:03:55 +0800 (GMT)

I err'd and missed Cc'ing the group.

Credit should go where credit is due....

-- 
Edward M. Greshko                       Technical Manager, Electronic Commerce
                                        Control Data Asia/Pacific Region
Voice: +886-2-715-2222 x287             6/F, 131 Nanking East Road, Section 3
FAX  : +886-2-712-9197                  Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 1996 19:50:05 +0800 (GMT)
From: Ed Greshko <[email-masked]>
To: Mike Brudenell <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Configuration Problem?

On Wed, 25 Sep 1996, Mike Brudenell wrote:

> At the Main Menu type "S" (Setup) then "C" (Configuration) and look
> through the options for "index-format".  Put your cursor on this entry and
> type "?" to read the built-in help about it.
> 
> Assuming you are otherwise happy with the layout of the Index screen you
> can change things to as you want them by noting the default value used:
> 
>     index-format=STATUS MSGNO DATE FROMORTO(33%) SIZE SUBJECT(67%)
> 
> and setting a value based very closely on this:
> 
>     index-format=STATUS MSGNO DATE FROM(33%) SIZE SUBJECT(67%)

	Now there's a "power" user!

	Regards,

		Ed

-- 
Edward M. Greshko                       Technical Manager, Electronic Commerce
                                        Control Data Asia/Pacific Region
Voice: +886-2-715-2222 x287             6/F, 131 Nanking East Road, Section 3
FAX  : +886-2-712-9197                  Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C

---

From: [email-masked] (Tim Mooney)
Date: 29 Sep 1996 01:37:25 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>,
  
> 	Now there's a "power" user!

That is a great tip from Mike, but considering the weekly number of questions
regarding this issue, it would seem that a more nature default (by which I
mean the one that people expect initially) would have been the index format 
that Mike shows in the second line, not the actual default.

Then, true power users could change their index format so that it uses the
fromorto while the newbies get the behavior they expect.

No, I'm not saying that people should be excused from reading the
documentation and I certainly don't feel there's any excuse for the FAQs
this newsgroup sees, but it does seem to be an unfortunate choice for a
default.

Tim
-- 
Tim Mooney                              [email-masked]
Information Technology Services         (701) 231-1076 (Voice)
Room 242-J1, IACC Bldg.                 (701) 231-8541 (FAX)
North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105

---

From: Ed Greshko <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 29 Sep 1996 20:15:57 +0800 (GMT)

> this newsgroup sees, but it does seem to be an unfortunate choice for a

	You may be right that it was an unfortunate choice....but I'm
sure the creators had their reasons.  Maybe it was to satisfy the needs
of the folks paying the bill for writing pine?  In any case, pine has
gotten so "feature rich" that it seems quite impossible to please everyone
with the default settings.  I, for one, am happy with that particular
default setting.  Maybe that is why I didn't investigate how to change
it.  (Narrow minded on my part I must say....)  But anyway, you have to
credit the pine folks for giving you plenty of features and allowing
you the flexibility to change things as you see fit.  All for the
amazing low price of *free*.

	Regards,

		Ed

---

From: Mike Brudenell <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 30 Sep 1996 09:49:30 +0100 (BST)

I'm afraid I disagree with the suggestion that the standard index-format
be changed to use "From" instead of "Fromorto"...

Certainly for e-mail folders Pine has used "Fromorto" for as far back as I
can remember.  (Some comments made by one person seem to imply that this
behaviour has only recently been introduced for newsgroups, however.  I
can understand and appreciate the Pine Team's desire to continue their
harmonisation of mail and news reading and making this change (if,
indeed, it has changed).)

Neither I nor any of our 10,000+ users seem to have any difficulty with
the concept or its use by default. 

I would hesitate about changing from such a useful default merely because
a few voice surpise by its behaviour.  I wonder how many people are happy
with the behaviour but are silent?  (Perhaps I should ask each of our
users to send a message to this group saying how happy they are with the
current default? ;-)

My feelings are that things may be helped somewhat by slightly improved
documentation about the action (perhaps reassuring that only the Index
Screen display is affected) and perhaps a brief explanation of why the
behaviour is this way. 

Cheers,

-- 
Mike Brudenell                                         <[email-masked]>
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