[pmmail-list] A better explaination of the bug with PMMAIL attachments

[Kris Sorem Sr]

My reply to message from David Azarewicz sent on
Sun, 16 Sep 2001 13:43:17 -0700 (PDT). You wrote:

>Ok, Joe Average user receives 2 email messages, Message1 with AttachmentA, 
>and Message2 with AttachmentB.  Joe Average user then forwards Message1 with 
>AttachmentA to SomePerson1, and forwards Message2 with AttachmentB to 
>SomePerson2.  Unfortunately SomePerson1 gets Message1 with AttachmentA, >and 
>SomePerson2 gets Message2 with AttachmentA.  Joe Average user scratches his 
>head wondering what happened to AttachmentB!  Who's fault is that?

Joe Average user! A message SHOULD NOT be forwarded to another person
without reading the message and viewing the attachment. If Joe Average
user does this, the recipient will get the correct message and attachment.
However, if Joe Average user chooses to cluelessly forward this message
without checking it out, the recipient /may/ get the wrong attachment.

>  Is it Joe 
>Average user's responsibility to know, or even *care* how PMMAIL handles 
>attachments internally?  Why should Joe Average user even care how his file 
>system even relates to PMMAIL and forwarding messages?  To Joe Average user, 
>the attachment is part of the message.  How does a piece of one message (the 
>attachment) get pieced into another message?  As a programmer, I understand 
>exactly the bug (yes, bug) that causes this. Joe Average user shouldn't have to care.  
>His messages should be forwarded properly, as he would intuitively expect them to.

Would you make the same excuse for operators of other complex equipment.
Why are computer users given a by? If you are clueless, you deserve the
result. Apple started the trend you describe and Microsoft transferred it
to PC's. Look at the result. Operators who have no concept of what they
are doing with their computer.
--
JMO, 
/s/~Kris
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