None of the Above (was Re: Sendmail still default?)

[Les Mikesell]

Matthew Garrett wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 20, 2008 at 02:17:39PM -0500, Les Mikesell wrote:
>> Matthew Garrett wrote:
>>> Once you're beyond the typical desktop use case, then yes, an MTA 
>>> probably makes sense. But that's not an argument for an MTA in the 
>>> default desktop install.
>> OK, if you really are so elitist that you think typical users can't 
>> figure out how to use standard programs, consider the case where you 
>> install the software for one of your incapable friends or family members 
>> and you'd like those impending failure warnings to come to you since the 
>> user won't understand them anyway.
> 
> I'm pretty solidly of the opinion that email is nowhere near being the 
> most sensible way to get important information to a typical desktop 
> user. If a failure is important then the user needs to know about it as 
> soon as possible - mail provides no guarantees about timely delivery. We 
> have plenty of desktop infrastructure to give important alerts to users, 
> we're just failing to do so.

If local delivery of mail fails, there's no reason to think any other 
notification method would have succeeded.  The important point is that 
the user may not be present when the event occurs, and that desktop 
infrastructure may not even be running - and even if it is, the 
interested party may want the notification to be forwarded elsewhere.

-- 
   Les Mikesell
     lesmikesell at gmail.com