Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!samsung!munnari.oz.au!goanna!minyos!s887212
From: s887212@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Stephen Riehm [Romulis])
Newsgroups: comp.mail.elm
Subject: Re: Confirm on open in elm ?
Message-ID: <6331@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au>
Date: 24 Nov 90 02:52:51 GMT
References: <1990Nov19.162037.7631@amd.com> <1990Nov19.182044.14572@DSI.COM> <3737@bnr-rsc.UUCP>
Organization: RMIT Computer Centre, Melbourne Australia.
Lines: 44

following on this thread.. I would like to describe some mail systems
available on other machines... you can chose which if any are appropriate
to this discussion.

On our old Cyber 760 (now due for the great cyber space in the sky :-( )
the mail system was entirely internal.. this allowed for the following
feature. When you sent mail to a person it was registered in the mailing
system. After you had sent it you could ENQUIRE your outgoing mail.. and
you would be given a list of mail not yet received at the other end. When
the mail was read it disappeared from this list. It was a simple and
effective scheme available to everyone. It also gave you the option of
cancelling any mail that had not yet got to its destination. 
This sort of system COULD be implemented on the UNIX networks, however it
would require Mandatory recognition of receipt from every machine. Obviously
this is not ideal.. but it is  a solution. As for this Big Brother Issue,
this method is passive.. those that dont care about they're mail dont get
bothered.. and those that do want to see if their URGENT mail has got
through have a mechanism to use should they want it. Also.. depending on
your viewpoint.. the mail belongs to both RECEIVED and SENDER. therefor
both parties should have certain rights available to them.. I dont see a
simple recognition of receipt as being 'BIG BROTHER'ish. Time stamps are
not necessary either.. all you need to know is that the mail has or has
not been read.

Those who are familiar with the NOS NOS/VE etc systems as provided by
CDC/Miden will recall that their mail system gives the user the option for
automatic receipt of receipt (?!). This option may not be desired by all
but it is an OPTION.

In defense of the poor defenseless receiver, there is always the option of
filtering your mail.. this would mean that you could bounce it back to the
sender.. automatically saving it to a file etc etc. if the sender has asked
for recognition of receipt they should get it as soon as the filter has
finished saving this file for you.. INSTANT recognition.. perfect record..
and NO EFFORT on your behalf! 


============================================================================
Romulis [Stephen Riehm]	            Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology,
					       (124 Latrobe St., Melbourne.)
s887212@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au					  Australia.

My 2c + 15% Tax + 7% inflation * 6 - the number you first thought of, Worth!
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