Subject: RE: PINE and mbox

From: [email-masked] (Steven Premeau)
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2000 08:07:17 -0600

> Until today I have not received any answer as to why you can not tell the
> server that you don't want to receive messages in your mbox file by
> default when you do this by IMAP. This problem has been raised several
> times and there's no real solution as there is with local acces.
> 
>   Given that the Pine team decided to make this behavior the default, you
> should be either lobbying for either make them not to make this the
> default anymore or lobby for an IMAP command that allow you to tell a
> server "do not transfer any messages to me by default". 

I know that I as a SysAdmin, I do not want the users disabling this (type
of) behavior.  (I happen to use the tenex folders -- mail.txt.)  The spool
directory is not quota'ed at this point, but the user's home directory is. 
Forcing this move keeps the user cleaning out his mail box(es).

Steve.

-- 
Steven Premeau, Network Manager      [email-masked]           (414) 595-2005
Networking and Microcomputing Services     University of Wisconsin - Parkside
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 "A car is more costly, complex, and dangerous than any word processor.  Yet
 you don't find a thousand page operating manual, nor must you check with a
 friend to learn how to close the window ..."
                                       - Cliff Stoll in "Silicon Snake Oil"

---

From: Eduardo Chappa <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2000 11:18:24 -0800 (PST)

*** Steven Premeau ([email-masked]) wrote in the pine-info list today:

:) I know that I as a SysAdmin, I do not want the users disabling this (type
:) of) behavior.  (I happen to use the tenex folders -- mail.txt.)  The spool
:) directory is not quota'ed at this point, but the user's home directory is.
:) Forcing this move keeps the user cleaning out his mail box(es).

All that's fine, but your whole idea breaks down when the user deletes
his/her mbox file and the server does not transfer messages anymore.
There's nothing you can do to force the user download his/her messages,
unless you force them to use POP3, and even then it may be possible to
leave them in the server. A measure like forcing people to use a mbox file
only has an effect if you keep your users uninformed about their options.
I am sure you'll have your reasons for doing that.  For example in our
system we are misinformed saying that "this is the way technology is
moving, and we have to go with it", completely a mistatement. I see more
danger in giving a quota to their home directory than to their spool. I
would recommend that you give them a soft quota in their spool, when they
reach that quota new messages won't be delivered but saved somewhere else,
and they will only be delivered when the user has made enough space for
them.

  For me to use the mbox file as an inbox is not a good idea, I still do
not know what the real advantage in using it is. I admit that there may be
cases where it is preferable, but I can not believe that it is an
excellent idea as the Pine team intends to convince you without any reason
to support it (press M R and take a look at the information about folder
locking). If this was an excellent idea there should be a way to force
users to use it, but there isn't, why?

-- 
Eduardo
http://www.math.washington.edu/~chappa/pine/