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Re: LK> a suggestion



I have a suggestion which may help us with messages. My mailing program
keeps all undeleted messages in a file. I can list them but the list shows
only the FROM (phys-L@mailer.uwf.edu), DATE (....) and the SUBJECT (....).
I wish the mailer gave me a possibility to modify the subject string after
reading a received message. This would be convenient for adding the name
of the author. Without this going back to old messages is a little less
convenient that it can be.

For example, I want to re-read (or respond to) a message that Sciamanda
posted a week ago under the subject X. The list often shows ten or more
messages; all from Phys-L and all under the same subject. It is a waste
of time to open them one after another and look for the name of the author.
Can something be done at the phys-L server to replace the present FROM
identifier with the one which would combine phys-L with the author? For
example, instead of "phys-L@mailer.uwf.edu" it would be nice to have
something like "Phys-L*Sciamanda". I suspect that this is not a trivial
task.

I see a possibility of solving this problem in another way. Suppose we
agree to prepare our messages "off line" and send them with the MAIL
command (which allows to define a subject) rather than with the REPLY
command. And we identify ourselves in the SUBJECT string. This message,
for example, will have the subject: "LK> A SUGGESTION". The LK> is my ID
tag. Somebody else may prefer to use the first or last name. Others may
prefer to be wizards, amateurs, birds, frogs, rivers or roses. Grab what
you want and be consistent. Let us see if this can be useful.

The trouble with the second approach is that the REPLY command can not
be eliminated; we often want to respond spontaneousely. That would create
messages whose declared authors are not real. No big harm can result from
this, especially if we try to minimize instant replying. The first approach
would be better, if it could be implimented. Please start using a short ID
tag in in your subject strings. We will evaluate the usefulness of doing
this in two or three weeks.
Ludwik Kowalski

I use Eudora which I believe is available for both Mac and PC platforms. It
puts the subject line in a box at the top of each incoming window, and the
text in this box is editable. The contents of this box are then placed in
the subject box of the index. Thus I think you can do what you want if you
get Eudora. There is a "lite" version of it which is downloadable free from
the www. I suggest looking at <http://www.download.com> for starters. A
commercial version with more capability is available for under $50 (I
think).

Eudora also allows you to change the subject line when you "reply" rather
than create a new message. In general, I have found Eudora to be about the
best e-mail program I have used.

Hugh

To get random signatures put text files into a folder called "Random
Signatures" into your Preferences folder.The box said "Requires Windows 95
or better." So I bought a Macintosh.
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