Splitting out PMMail

[Darren V. Croft]

>    There would be no internal editor at all.  It is code that, if they don't
>support, frees up time to devote elsewhere.

Isn't the internal editor just an MLE? Not really anything to support.
I can't see taking it out.

>    Why?  It really acts no different than the internal editor.  Type in a
>to/cc/bcc, type in a subject, press enter and it launches the external
>editor.

Why clutter up the screen with another window? In our office we
constantly get interrupted and switch to another app. If someone is in
the middle of an external edit session, I can see them getting lost,
returning to dialog instead of editor, etc. For an unsophisticated end
user it just breeds confusion and frustration. I also had some focus
problems -- I'd close the editor and then have to find the dialog to
send -- or something like that.

I agree there is great power and flexibility in modular programs, but
for an end user they don't see the long term advantages. They're
worried about how pleasant and easy it is to use. When they see some
monstrous app that does some amazing feat right before their eyes with
a single click of a button they are impressed. They'll be tempted to
laugh when you show them how great your modular system is while you
switch between multiple apps/multiple windows and multiple
keystrokes/buttons to accomplish the same thing. Never mind that yours
is scalable, stable, free, and open source, it is too complicated and
awkward.


What we need is a way to build integrated, modular apps. (Plug in any
spell checker, editor, graphics viewer, etc. and have it look and
behave like a single integrated app.) Open Doc was supposed to do this.
Java Beans is supposed to do this (at least in future). I think
Microsoft will do anything to deter these types of initiatives from
being successuful.

Guess I got a bit carried away... stepping down of soap box...

Note I agree with your concerns about the business viability of PMMail.