Simple tasks that should mean zero fuss to do?

[jc87]

Anyone that uses computers for years must have noticed that are certain tasks that for some reason mean some work in spite off they should just be "click and use" , no matter what OS/app you are using!

The first example that comes to my mind is using a program to check your mail , why the fsck do i have to copy/paste data about ports and etc... why i cant just give the user/pass/mail and the program itself have a database of mails and respective configs? if i wanted to change any advanced option i would change it on my own , otherwise i would just use the default and move on with my life.

Now this is just an example , what i would like to know what similar situations you notice in your dailly computer using

[aysiu]

I don't know what you're talking about.

I check my email all the time and don't fiddle at all with ports and user/pass/mail and whatnot.

I use Thunderbird.

[wthanna]

? I'm not sure where you are coming from with regard to email.. Evolution is very similar to Outlook with regard to setting it up and using it.. You setup your email servers and user info. and then it is as simple as clicking "send and receive".. other email programs are about the same in Linux. I even run an email server using "Hula" which is available in the repositories, and it is very simple to install and use as well. Maybe you could provide more details and we could help you.. but again.. email in Linux is almost identical to other OS's.

[T700]

The first example that comes to my mind is using a program to check your mail , why the fsck do i have to copy/paste data about ports and etc... why i cant just give the user/pass/mail and the program itself have a database of mails and respective configs?

I assume you mean that email programs should have an indwelling database of server settings for various ISP's and mail servers. If that isn't what you mean, please correct me.

I suppose that might work and spare me a few minutes work each time I set up a new system, but at what cost? I'm not keen on the extra coding and size that would introduce to the email programs. Plus, who is going to keep the database updated? How will updates be pushed to existing installations? Just seems like a solution that is more painful than the problem.

Paul

[jc87]

I assume you mean that email programs should have an indwelling database of server settings for various ISP's and mail servers. If that isn't what you mean, please correct me.

I suppose that might work and spare me a few minutes work each time I set up a new system, but at what cost? I'm not keen on the extra coding and size that would introduce to the email programs. Plus, who is going to keep the database updated? How will updates be pushed to existing installations? Just seems like a solution that is more painful than the problem.

Paul

Yes that is what i mean

I'm not keen on the extra coding and size that would introduce to the email programs

I don´t think would be hard at all , just keep a file with the info , the user could choose to use it (default) or use his own configs.

Plus, who is going to keep the database updated

A system to let users contribute with configs for their mail

Just seems like a solution that is more painful than the problem.

Maybe you´re right , must be just frustation of having to help all my friends to do it

[hizaguchi]

Yes that is what i mean

I'm not keen on the extra coding and size that would introduce to the email programs

I don´t think would be hard at all , just keep a file with the info , the user could choose to use it (default) or use his own configs.

Wouldn't be that hard? Great! It's not a feature I would use, but I'm sure many will appreciate it. When do you expect to have a beta ready?

Seriously though, how hard is it to fill out a couple pages of information? It's more work to register for an email account than it is to set up Evolution or Thunderbird.

There are some things I find myself doing that could probably stand to be easier, but email is about as simple as it gets.

[Shay Stephens]

You need to look into a web mail account. I know what you mean as far as the hassle of setting up mail when you switch computers a lot, but still, I think you should use the right tool for the right job. And if you need that kind of function, webmail is the tool for you

There is also the secondary issue of things becoming so easy and non-transparent that you become enslaved to the masters of the info. I went through that already and don't relish relinquishing any more power to others. Knowing where your server is and how to connect to it is vital. Some things are best left out in the open.

[BuffaloX]

I think it sounds like a really good idea.
It would be cool, if I had to only enter the account name and the password.

But it's not a very realistic project, there is simply too many isp's worldwide, and you don't even have to be an isp to host a mailserver!
Keeping such a database up to date would be very hard.

But if a protocol existed, which supplied the information needed for the mail client when requested. It could work.

When I had to move my mail from Windows to Linux, it was very easy, because I used thunderbird for both, and I only had to move 1 folder. But if you want to try out another mailclient, and move the accounts to that, it's ususally a pain, because they use different terminology, can't either import or export properly.
Changing mail client is much to problematic imo.

[prizrak]

Drivers have always been the biggest issue for me. I never did understan why almost all hardware requires a driver as opposed to working akin to routers/switches that just plug in and all the communication goes over some protocol. The driver system seems to be very outdated.