in reply to MonkMail!

Hmm... isn't there some law, such that all programs will tend to expand until they can handle email? ;-)

Well, like many, I've pondered the prospect of MonkMail. But really, I'd just like to have internal mail, with which to communicate with other monks. Leaving /msgs in my chatterbox forever really isn't practical.

But, as a short-term hack, the chatterbox is a great start. What if, for instance, you had a page which only you could see, but to which many people could write (via a form)? Initially just a pared-down chatterbox page, which received (longer) /msgs, and had a textarea for replies.

Then, with added features, maybe I could use other pages as subdirectories, so I could organize stuff a little more after the fashion of regular mail. And have an automatic response, or ban certain people, or set a minimum level to send mail to me, etc.

Personally, I don't feel a need for yet another email account. I wouldn't mind the capability of using it as regular email, but I'd rather not have to, as I'd certainly rather not deal with spam. If I really want to impress people at business meetings, there's always my #!/usr/bin/perl tattoo. ;-)

Anyway, I think a monks-only mail system would be quick to implement, and really enhance communciations on the site.

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
RE: RE: MonkMail!
by jptxs (Curate) on Oct 29, 2000 at 09:18 UTC

    I don't want to sound contrary, but why reinvent the wheel? basically, having a forwarding address @perlmonks.org would let you do what you're suggesting only when someone wanted to leave one of these 'longer /msg's' (which is exactly how i've been thinking about this too), they would just shoot an email to Petruchio@perlmonks.org

    That way vroom does next to no work (add a script that puts an alias in a sendmail config upon a user achieving XYZ status), there's no need for monks to check any extra pages for messages they weren't already and there's no upgrade/enhancement worries on the code side should the monastery have a major overhaul or something (not to say it needs even the slightest tweak, but sometimes you just have to re-write code because it's there : )

    "sometimes when you make a request for the head you don't
    want the big, fat body...don't you go snickering."
                                             -- Nathan Torkington UoP2K a.k.a gnat

[reply]
      Well, you do sound contrary. Lucky for you this is Perl Monks Discussion, and contrary opinions are pretty well required for interesting discussion. ;-)

      First, I don't want mail from non-monks. Naturally, if I can easily have things this way, I don't care how the system gets implemented on the back end. I would be happy if those monks who wanted @perlmonks.org addresses got them. But email is a commonplace service; monk-only mail would actually be a new service.

      Second, do they have sendmail installed here? I don't know; I know next to nothing about how things are set up behind the scenes here. I'm not sure if they're managing blockstackers.com mail in-house, and if they are, I'm not sure they'd want to mess with it.

      Third, I'd rather see messages from other monks here than elsewhere. I want my PerlMonks stuff here, and other stuff in other places. And I'd prefer not to have to set up some email account, and then configure it so that it rejected all mail except that forwarded from PerlMonks.

      Fourth, I'm not wholly comforted by the thought of people showing up here simply so they can get @perlmonks.org accounts... as seems inevitable.

      Adding the /msg pages I mentioned seem like a very simple hack, which could be expanded in time with options to receive and send external mail, or to forward all mail to an external address. Offering another email address to a bunch of people who probably have a dozen addresses apiece seems more like reinventing the wheel.

      But I say this with all respect for your opinion. :-)

[reply]

        hmmm... I suppose your point about mail from non-monks is VERY valid. hadn't thought about it really. jptxs needs to meditate on this further

        "sometimes when you make a request for the head you don't
        want the big, fat body...don't you go snickering."
                                                 -- Nathan Torkington UoP2K a.k.a gnat

[reply]
        > First, I don't want mail from non-monks.
        While I understand this concern, I don't really agree with it. As AgentM mentioned in
        the root of this thread, being able to list brainpan@perlmonks.org on my resume would be
        desirable. Making this be an esoteric form of perlmonk-only communication would render
        this benefit null and void. However, I do agree that there should be some defining
        characteristic from mail coming from non-permonks. I've never really done much with
        sendmail, but if it would be possible to add NonPerlmonk=True to the message header
        (and not including this field for perlmonks, lest headers be forged) this would give your
        mail client's mail filters something to search for and deal with as you see fit.

        > Fourth, I'm not wholly comforted by the thought of people showing up here simply so they can get @perlmonks.org accounts... as seems inevitable.

        You seem to be neglecting the fact that this would be true of your 'private message page'
        method as well. In either case, making a perlmonk(ey) rise to a certain status before
        being granted an email address would seem to solve the problem.
[reply]
        > First, I don't want mail from non-monks.
        While I understand this concern, I don't really agree with it. As AgentM mentioned in
        the root of this thread, being able to list brainpan@perlmonks.org on my resume would be
        desirable. Making this be an esoteric form of perlmonk-only communication would render
        this benefit null and void. However, I do agree that there should be some defining
        characteristic from mail coming from non-permonks. I've never really done much with
        sendmail, but if it would be possible to add NonPerlmonk=True to the message header
        (and not including this field for perlmonks, lest headers be forged) this would give your
        mail client's mail filters something to search for and deal with as you see fit.

        > Fourth, I'm not wholly comforted by the thought of people showing up here simply so they can get
        @perlmonks.org accounts... as seems inevitable.

        You seem to be neglecting the fact that this would be true of your 'private message page'
        method as well. In either case, making a perlmonk(ey) rise to a certain status before
        being granted an email address would seem to solve the problem.
[reply]
RE: RE: MonkMail!
by extremely (Priest) on Oct 29, 2000 at 18:30 UTC
    The Law Of Software Envelopement: Unix programs will expand in features until they are capable of e-mail.

    Of the prototypical examples, I find EMACS and NetHack to be two best.

    --
    $you = new YOU;
    honk() if $you->love(perl)

[reply]

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