MBOX-Line: From mrc+imap at panda.com  Wed May 18 16:15:19 2011
To: imap-protocol@u.washington.edu
From: Mark Crispin <mrc+imap@panda.com>
Date: Fri Jun  8 12:34:46 2018
Subject: [Imap-protocol] Thoughts on keyword improvements/enhancements
In-Reply-To: <20110518210716.GA12636@brong.net>
References: <20110518011645.Horde.6sTkboF5lbhN03Jd3XNndCA@bigworm.curecanti.org>
	<BANLkTikVbKdXg01nnajJ-=XLNfTpjjjG0Q@mail.gmail.com>
	<alpine.OSX.2.00.1105181108180.24932@hsinghsing.panda.com>
	<20110518210716.GA12636@brong.net>
Message-ID: <alpine.OSX.2.00.1105181519330.24932@hsinghsing.panda.com>

On Wed, 18 May 2011, Bron Gondwana wrote:
> What annoys me the most is no CONDSTORE/QRESYNC support, so you
> can't create an efficient gmail client - you need to sync all the
> flags, every time.  Gmail is big enough that I'm fairly willing to
> special case it in exchange for big performance wins, but there's
> just no way to be sure you have all the changes.

This serves to illustrate the overall problem with synchronization, and
specifically with synchronizing email.

Email synchronization is a fool's errand; but there seem to be an abundant
supply of fools that undertake it.

Thus we have miserable mobile device email clients such as Mail.app on the
iToy, BlackBerry, and the default Mail app on Android.  At least Android
has k9mail which - just barely - steps over the line into "usability".

A special place in hell exists for the authors of synchronizing email
clients that refuse to display email unless there's a session open to the
server...

All in the name of the holy religion of "email users won't tolerate
waiting for the network/not being able to access mail without network
access."  Hello kids, ever hear of webmail?

There is another way of doing client/server email.  Too bad that very few
understand it; many more that have heard of it, but do not understand it.

Sadly, as the only money to be made in email today is in making email NOT
work, not in making it work, it's not likely that we'll see much change in
the status quo.

-- Mark --

http://panda.com/mrc
Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what to eat for lunch.
Liberty is a well-armed sheep contesting the vote.

