Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!henry From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) Newsgroups: net.mail,net.mail.headers Subject: Re: user-editable mail headers Message-ID: <4231@utzoo.UUCP> Date: Sat, 18-Aug-84 18:10:02 EDT Article-I.D.: utzoo.4231 Posted: Sat Aug 18 18:10:02 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 18-Aug-84 18:10:02 EDT References: <1293@ihuxl.UUCP>, <969@ulysses.UUCP> Organization: U of Toronto Zoology Lines: 15 > Please note that the Rand MH system -- distributed with 4.2bsd -- has had > that ability for years. When you want to send a letter, it pops you into > the editor of your choice; when you're done, it parses the header to see > who it's addressed to. I have no direct experience with MH, but this is *clearly* the right way to do letter composition. A mail system is a mail system: it should not try to be a text editor as well. Partly because it complicates the mail system unnecessarily, partly because it means the poor user has to learn two different editors, but mostly because mail-system editors are lousy editors! Text editing is a complex task; writing a good text editor is not easy. Mail-system authors should leave this job to specialists. -- Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry