IMAP (was Re: Quassia Gnus v0.22 is released)

[Justin Sheehy <justin@linus.mitre.org>]

Steinar Bang <sb@metis.no> writes:

> I have been using the UoW imapd, and it seems to be working pretty
> well.  I'm more concerned about clients.  The only one I've had access
> to for testing, is Netscape 4.

I've looked at several.

The problem is that each of them has (at least) one of two issues.

1) does not really act as an IMAP client ought to act, either uses
   IMAP as a glorified POP or has its own paradigm that is hacked
   around IMAP

2) is significantly different enough from any existing client that
   people will be unlikely to switch to it even if it DTRT.

Issue #1 will end up being a possible problem for Gnus' nnimap at
some point.  For instance, I am not sure that nnagent and the IMAP
concept of disconnectedness will mesh easily.

However, I have been seeing a strong push toward using IMAP servers
for mail in large institutions.  Many people (myself included) would
be quite uncomfortable having to use, say, PINE (ugh) to access their
mail.

I hope that imap support in Gnus manages to somehow take off soon.  I
regret not having the time to attack the problem in depth myself.

-- 
Justin Sheehy

In a cloud bones of steel.