mail systems -- point of no return

[WELTY at ge-crd.arpa]

Date: 18-FEB-1987 15:43
From: Richard Welty
Sender: WELTY
Subject: mail systems -- point of no return
To: info-unix at brl-sem.ARPA@smtp
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Richard_Conto at um.cc.umich.EDU writes:
 
>On the other hand, for most mail systems I know of, once you've
>posted a message, that's it, and users will always be asking to
>'unpost' a message after they've gone past the point of no return.

Mail systems that allow unposting exist -- I have used one of them
fairly extensively.  The added complexity is enormous -- it always seemed
to me to be more complex than the added features justified.  The problem
is that the system must own the mailboxes of unread mail, and the
mail program must accordingly be more complex and have significant
privileges.  It always seemed a little dangerous to me ... also, the
user generally can't write his own mail reader very easily (if at all).
The unix-style mail does have its problems, but the alternatives are worse
in my book.
			-- Richard Welty (welty at ge-crd.arpa)

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